"Oh! what a lovely post!" I cried, as we drove in.
Major Sanford of the First Cavalry4, with Captain Carr and Lieutenant5 Oscar Brown, received us. "Dear me," I thought, "if the First Cavalry is made up of such gallant6 men as these, the old Eighth Infantry7 will have to look out for its laurels8."
Mrs. Sanford and Mrs. Carr gave us a great welcome and vied with each other in providing for our comfort, and we were soon established.
It was so good to see the gay yellow of the cavalry again! Now I rode, to my heart's content, and it was good to be alive; to see the cavalry drill, and to ride through the canons, gorgeous in their flaming autumn tints9; then again to gallop10 through the sage-brush, jumping where we could not turn, starting up rabbits by the score.
That little old post, now long since abandoned, marked a pleasant epoch11 in our life. From the ranches12 scattered13 around we could procure14 butter and squabs and young vegetables, and the soldiers cultivated great garden patches, and our small dinners and breakfasts live in delightful15 memory.
At the end of two years spent so pleasantly with the people of the First Cavalry, our company was again ordered to Angel Island. But a second very active campaign in Arizona and Mexico, against Geronimo, took our soldiers away from us, and we passed through a period of considerable anxiety. June of '86 saw the entire regiment ordered to take station in Arizona once more.
We travelled to Tucson in a Pullman car. It was hot and uninteresting. I had been at Tucson nine years before, for a few hours, but the place seemed unfamiliar16. I looked for the old tavern17; I saw only the railroad restaurant. We went in to take breakfast, before driving out to the post of Fort Lowell, seven miles away. Everything seemed changed. Iced cantaloupe was served by a spick-span alert waiter; then, quail18 on toast. "Ice in Arizona?" It was like a dream, and I remarked to Jack19, "This isn't the same Arizona we knew in '74," and then, "I don't believe I like it as well, either; all this luxury doesn't seem to belong to the place."
After a drive behind some smart mules20, over a flat stretch of seven miles, we arrived at Fort Lowell, a rather attractive post, with a long line of officers' quarters, before which ran a level road shaded by beautiful great trees. We were assigned a half of one of these sets of quarters, and as our half had no conveniences for house-keeping, it was arranged that we should join a mess with General and Mrs. Kautz and their family. We soon got settled down to our life there, and we had various recreations; among them, driving over to Tucson and riding on horseback are those which I remember best. We made a few acquaintances in Tucson, and they sometimes drove out in the evenings, or more frequently rode out on horseback. Then we would gather together on the Kautz piazza21 and everybody sang to the accompaniment of Mrs. Kautz's guitar. It was very hot, of course; we had all expected that, but the luxuries obtainable through the coming of the railroad, such as ice, and various summer drinks, and lemons, and butter, helped out to make the summer there more comfortable.
We slept on the piazzas22, which ran around the houses on a level with the ground. At that time the fad23 for sleeping out of doors, at least amongst civilized24 people, did not exist, and our arrangements were entirely25 primitive26.
Our quarters were surrounded by a small yard and a fence; the latter was dilapidated, and the gate swung on one hinge. We were seven miles from anywhere, and surrounded by a desolate country. I did not experience the feeling of terror that I had had at Camp Apache, for instance, nor the grewsome fear of the Ehrenberg grave-yard, nor the appalling27 fright I had known in crossing the Mogollon range or in driving through Sanford's Pass. But still there was a haunting feeling of insecurity which hung around me especially at night. I was awfully28 afraid of snakes, and no sooner had we lain ourselves down on our cots to sleep, than I would hear a rustling29 among the dry leaves that had blown in under our beds. Then all would be still again; then a crackling and a rustling—in a flash I would be sitting up in bed. "Jack, do you hear that?" Of course I did not dare to move or jump out of bed, so I would sit, rigid30, scared. "Jack! what is it?" "Nonsense, Mattie, go to sleep; it's the toads31 jumping about in the leaves." But my sleep was fitful and disturbed, and I never knew what a good night's rest was.
One night I was awakened32 by a tremendous snort right over my face. I opened my eyes and looked into the wild eyes of a big black bull. I think I must have screamed, for the bull ran clattering33 off the piazza and out through the gate. By this time Jack was up, and Harry34 and Katherine, who slept on the front piazza, came running out, and I said: "Well, this is the limit of all things, and if that gate isn't mended to-morrow, I will know the reason why."
Now I heard a vague rumor35 that there was a creature of this sort in or near the post, and that he had a habit of wandering around at night, but as I had never seen him, it had made no great impression on my mind. Jack had a great laugh at me, but I did not think then, nor do I now, that it was anything to be laughed at.
We had heard much of the old Mission of San Xavier del Bac, away the other side of Tucson. Mrs. Kautz decided36 to go over there and go into camp and paint a picture of San Xavier. It was about sixteen miles from Fort Lowell.
So all the camp paraphernalia37 was gotten ready and several of the officers joined the party, and we all went over to San Xavier and camped for a few days under the shadow of those beautiful old walls. This Mission is almost unknown to the American traveler.
The curious carvings40 and paintings inside the church, and the precious old vestments which were shown us by an ancient custodian41, filled my mind with wonder. The building is partly in ruins, and the little squirrels were running about the galleries, but the great dome42 is intact, and many of the wonderful figures which ornament43 it. Of course we know the Spanish built it about the middle or last of the sixteenth century, and that they tried to christianize the tribes of Indians who lived around in the vicinity. But there is no sign of priest or communicant now, nothing but a desolate plain around it for miles. No one can possibly understand how the building of this large and beautiful mission was accomplished44, and I believe history furnishes very little information. In its archives was found quite recently the charter given by Ferdinand and Isabella, to establish the "pueblo45" of Tucson about the beginning of the 16th century.
After a few delightful days, we broke camp and returned to Fort Lowell.
And now the summer was drawing to a close, and we were anticipating the delights of the winter climate at Tucson, when, without a note of warning, came the orders for Fort Niobrara. We looked, appalled46, in each other's faces, the evening the telegram came, for we did not even know where Fort Niobrara was.
We all rushed into Major Wilhelm's quarters, for he always knew everything. We (Mrs. Kautz and several of the other ladies of the post, and myself) were in a state of tremendous excitement. We pounded on Major Wilhelm's door and we heard a faint voice from his bedroom (for it was after ten o'clock); then we waited a few moments and he said, "Come in."
We opened the door, but there being no light in his quarters we could not see him. A voice said: "What in the name of—" but we did not wait for him to finish; we all shouted: "Where is Fort Niobrara?" "The Devil!" he said. "Are we ordered there?" "Yes, yes," we cried; "where is it?" "Why, girls," he said, relapsing into his customary moderate tones, "It's a hell of a freezing cold place, away up north in Nebraska."
We turned our backs and went over to our quarters to have a consultation47, and we all retired48 with sad hearts.
Now, just think of it! To come to Fort Lowell in July, only to move in November! What could it mean? It was hard to leave the sunny South, to spend the winter in those congealed49 regions in the North. We were but just settled, and now came another break-up!
Our establishment now, with two children, several servants, two saddle horses, and additional household furnishings, was not so simple as in the beginning of our army life, when three chests and a box or two contained our worldly goods. Each move we made was more difficult than the last; our allowance of baggage did not begin to cover what we had to take along, and this added greatly to the expense of moving.
The enormous waste attending a move, and the heavy outlay50 incurred51 in travelling and getting settled anew, kept us always poor; these considerations increased our chagrin52 over this unexpected change of station. There was nothing to be done, however. Orders are relentless53, even if they seem senseless, which this one did, to the women, at least, of the Eighth Infantry.
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1
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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infantry
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| n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
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laurels
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| n.桂冠，荣誉 | |
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tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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epoch
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| n.(新)时代；历元 | |
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ranches
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| 大农场， （兼种果树，养鸡等的）大牧场( ranch的名词复数 ) | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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quail
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| n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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piazza
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| n.广场；走廊 | |
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piazzas
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| n.广场，市场( piazza的名词复数 ) | |
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fad
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| n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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toads
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| n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 ) | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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clattering
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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paraphernalia
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| n.装备；随身用品 | |
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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carvings
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| n.雕刻( carving的名词复数 )；雕刻术；雕刻品；雕刻物 | |
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custodian
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| n.保管人，监护人；公共建筑看守 | |
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dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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pueblo
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| n.（美国西南部或墨西哥等）印第安人的村庄 | |
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46
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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47
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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49
congealed
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| v.使凝结，冻结( congeal的过去式和过去分词 )；（指血）凝结 | |
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outlay
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| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
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51
incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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52
chagrin
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| n.懊恼；气愤；委屈 | |
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53
relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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