They seemed much
exhausted when they came up, but found sufficient breath to abuse the
driver for having left them; but he at once roared out, "Get in, I
tell you, or I'll leave you sure enough!" That settled matters, and we
started on again. Very soon those men fell asleep and rolled off their
seats to the floor, where they snored and had bad dreams. I was jammed
in a corner without mercy, and of course did not sleep one second
during the long wretched night. Twice we stopped for fresh horses, and
at both places I walked about a little to rest my cramped feet and
limbs. At breakfast the next morning I asked the driver to let me ride
on top with him, which he consented to, and from there on to Benton I
had peace and fresh air--the glorious air of Montana.
Yesterday--the day after I got here--I was positively ill from the
awful shaking up, mental as well as physical, I received on that stage
ride. We reached Benton at eleven. Faye was at the hotel with an
ambulance when the stage drove up, and it was amusing to look at the
faces of those men when they saw Faye in his uniform, and the
government outfit. We started for camp at once, and left them standing
on the hotel porch watching us as we drove down the street. It is a
pity that such men cannot be compelled to serve at least one
enlistment in the Army, and be drilled into something that resembles a
real man.
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