Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-13

the officers The sections were separated
In their arrival by an hour and more.
and as each nondescript string or cars.
which had travelled thus on passenger
the yards men and officers set to work
with odd haste to remove their 1mpedi-
menta
Capt. Brooke Payne. in command Of
the battalion, had his horse brought
down the runway from the first Of the
horse cars. mounted 1T and then
splashed back and forth through the
morasses, directing his men in every
move Out Of freight cars came NJ tents tents
according to the battery to which 1t
belonged. Then against the side OF
each Of the five horse cars In turn the
runway was placed and artillerymen
disappeared with loops Of halters on
their arms to carve out the horses
from the stamping. snorting melee IN
side.
group Of troopers from the 9Th
Cavalry, awaiting the switching OF
selves on convenient stacks Of hay
alongside the cursing, struggling arti1-
lerymen and gave them sweet beneht
OF their experience.
you rummy." one grinning cavalryman
yelled. then he'll come like little
lamb"
"Give his tail the Swedish twist If he
don't want to get out in his turn" an
other called to a fellow with red
stripes who was trying to shut of the
wind of big bay and keep him from
crowding to the runway before his
time. The Swedish twist is great in
spirer of horses. Two big bays broke
from their halter straps. plunged
nd
amuck through all the piles of guns.
grain and greasers. Instantly cavalry
men were down from their hay piles
with arms outspread. mounted officers
mad pursuit. and even the white-eyed
negro roustabouts dropped their grub
bling hoes ovef the runty cactus and
gave chase. After they had their lit
tie fling both runaways trotted up to
the line of tethered gun pullers with
the most unctuous innocence shining
from their eyes.
1t was then, during the horse chase,
and only then, that the seven scarecrows
on the fence stirred with excitement.
Gun after gun and caisson after caisson
were then lowered from their places on
the fiat cars by block and tackle, harness
came out Of unnumbered piles OF dun
mage, whiffietrees ratified as the chain
traces were being hooked up, and then
with yelling artillerymen on each leaders
back, faying their arms and mounting
artistic oaths, the guns lurched and wal
lowed through the mire out of the yards
and onto the mile-long road that leads to
the reservation. There was more adobe
and there many times guns and limbers
were mired, but before shutdown every
gun was packed on the hill designated in
the blue print Of the encampment, Bat
tallion Sd Field Artillery"
Hospital Corps Arrives.
n.%or. +ho I,e% soc+fo, 80 tbe ,rt;,Ior,
was we'll out Of the yard Capt. William
A. Wickline's Company c of the Hos
pital Corps, 100 men and 3 officers, from
Washington, pulled into the yards yoked
at the end of q nondescript supply train
While Capt. Wicklines men were busy
unloading medicine chests. cots and hos
pital SUP plies of infinite variety from one
Of the freight cars which just preceded
the Pullmans wherein the hospital staff
had ridden across the continent, train
pulled up bringing the full complement
Of the Sd Battalion. Engineering Corps,
from Fort Leavenworth.
During the minutes of rest in the de-
training yards intense speculation min
gled with the tobacco smoke everywhere.
Whether it was a group of troopers hob
nobbing with some lately arrived artil-
leryman or the officers of an infantry
regiment by chance thrown In the neigh
bOrhood of some newcomers from Wyom-
ing. the DurQeH VI cOSitdtlOn was al the
same.
They say that we're going to hike for
FL Paso.'' Sergeant Bill of D Company,
Col. Jim Parker's regiment. says to Pri-
vate Smithers. just of the train from
Fort D. a. Russell
when do we go?" the newcomer asks,
eagerly.
''Soon's they break the recru1ties They
won't be here until today or tomorrow.
But, believe me, boy. they are not re-
cruiting the 18th Cavalry up to war
strength to play around at maneuvers."
Interested in Laredo.
Or. How far is it to Laredo?" the ar
tillery captain from Fort D. A. Russell
asked Of the major Of cavalry down to
see about his horses.
Just 153 miles, This answer sharp
and decisive. "Why?"
"Oh, 1 just wanted to know-want to
get posted on the situation, you see."
And so the gossip goes all day. and
SO the segments of the army division
summoned for "maneuvers'' continue 20
pour into San Antonio. 153 railroad miles
away from the border.