Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-07-24

miles from here They will hike 1t all
went with them.
When I go. it will be my horse that
gets sore feet not me. will be sore
somewhere else.
am still here in Laredo but may
move any time. We don't know what
we are going to do till we do it.
Get up at 4.30; eat at and drill
from to 10. Fall in again at for
retreat and inspection. Go to bed
round o'clock and sleep like a log.
The evenings are fine and the sunsets
are very beautiful: also sunrises.
During the day it is vtNy hot; near
ly always 10 degrees in the shade. and
lay down in my tent, read the pa
pers, write, talk, etc. During the first
three or four days the sweat stood out
on my face and body all the time and
my clothes were wet through and l
lost 10 pounds. Now I am getting
used to it and don't mind it hardly at
all. Like very much and am start
ing to put on weight. I am contented
and like this camp life.
We have a sand storm about every
worst one so far. The sand was so
thick l could not see across the COM
pany street to the next tent. After 1t
went by. you could see the sand hun
dreds Of feet high in the air miles
off.
Last Saturday night we had the
first rain since last October. 1 was
down town when it started. The sky
seemed to open and down came the
water in sheets.
l got under cover during the worst of
it but had to walk back in some of it
with the water up to my knees. When
got in my tent the water was six or seven
inches deep.
A soldiers life is not what it is cracked
up to be. Don't think that I am not hav-
ing a good time. because l am. for the
simple reason that my body is in good
condition. l have had a lot of outdoor
life, exercise, etc That it what counts
down here. A lot of the fellows are sick
abed, some are pretty badly off. Well,
those fellows have never taken care Of
their bodies and never had any outdoor
life to speak of. Besides being sick there
are lots and lots Of them homesick. That
hasn't bothered me as yet for the simple
reason that l have been living away
from home with a crowd Of boys for three
years Down here it Is nearly the same
AS away to school, in that there are
crowd Of fellows around. We have
good set of boys in Company NJ.
Another regular came in this morning
and pitched tents about half a mile from
here. Laredo is the base for so many
troops They are sent along the border
from here Another company leaves to-
morrow to guard bridge IA miles from
here.
July 1--WE had a hard day today-that
is the mounted scouts. Worked from 6
to 1890 and from 40 to s. About 20 cars
of horses came this morning and we had
to go into a big yard and catch % of
them. 1t was some job and some expert
ence. Talk about your cowboys and that
sort of thing. Why. you should have
seen us. The horses had been riding for
several days on the rails and were right
off the ranch. They certainly kicked
around bit before we caught them. To-
morrow | have one of them issued to me.
There will be some Job on my hands to
break him in, but 1t will be better to ride
all day than to hike. Talk about your
guns. 7 have got a big six-shooter revol-
Yer that cost s2l.5o
I have to get up at 4 in the morning to
water the horses. Am we'll and happy
and putting on good tan. Love to you
all and will write again soon.
DOC" NILES.