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Roe, Frances Marie Antoinette Mack

"Army Letters from an Officer's Wife, 1871-1888"

Faye is always present at
the inspection, and once I watched it a short distance away.
When there are camps outside I always feel a little more protected
from the Indians. I am kept awake hours every night by my
uncontrollable fear of their getting on top of the parapet and cutting
holes in the canvas over our very heads and getting into the room that
way. A sentry is supposed to walk around the top every few minutes,
but I have very little confidence in his protection. I really rely
upon Hal more than the sentry to give warning, for that dog can hear
the stealthy step of an Indian when a long distance from him. And I
believe he can smell them, too.
We bought a beautiful buffalo-calf robe for a bed for him, and that
night I folded it down nicely and called him to it, thinking he would
be delighted with so soft and warm a bed. But no! He went to it
because I called him and patted it, but put one foot on it he would
not. He gave a little growl, and putting his tail up, walked away with
great dignity and a look of having been insulted.
Of course the skin smelled strong of the tepee and Indians. We sunned
and aired it for days, and Farrar rubbed the fur with camphor and
other things to destroy the Indian odor, and after much persuading and
any amount of patience on our part, Hal finally condescended to use
the robe.


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