You
can see how treacherous these Indians are, and how very far from noble
is their method of warfare! They are so disappointing, too--so wholly
unlike Cooper's red men.
We were glad enough to get in the ambulance and start on our way to
the post, but alas! our troubles were not over. The mules must have
felt the excitement in the air, for as soon as their heads were turned
toward home they proceeded to run away with us. We had the four little
mules that are the special pets of the quartermaster, and are known
throughout the garrison as the "shaved-tails," because the hair on
their tails is kept closely cut down to the very tips, where it is
left in a square brush of three or four inches. They are perfectly
matched--coal-black all over, except their little noses, and are quite
small. They are full of mischief, and full of wisdom, too, even for
government mules, and when one says, "Let's take a sprint," the others
always agree--about that there is never the slightest hesitation.
Therefore, when we first heard the scraping of the brake, and saw that
the driver was pulling and sawing at the tough mouths with all his
strength, no one was surprised, but we said that we wished they had
waited until after we had crossed the Arkansas River. But we got over
the narrow bridge without meeting more than one man, who climbed over
the railing and seemed less anxious to meet us than we were to meet
him.
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