t going to tell on him--and then, after he had been alone, he had
knocked his head against the wall in his rage at the injustice of the
world--always--knocked--his--head--against--the--wall--always--knocked----

Bang! went the captain's head against the window-frame and he woke up
with a start and put his hand up to his aching forehead. Where under the
sun was he? Ah, of course--there were the soldiers snoring all around
him and tossing about in their sleep. He felt dead tired. Had he been
asleep? He looked at the time again--still fifty-five minutes to the
next watch.

The roaring and clattering of the wheels came to his ears on the fresh
night air as he again looked out of the window. The train had just
rounded a curve, and the other two trains could be seen coming on
behind. Now they were passing through a gorge between bright rocky
banks, which gleamed like snow in the moonlight. Whirling, foaming
waters rushed down the mountain-side to join the dark river far below.
Then on into a dark snowshed where the hurrying beat of the revolving
wheels resounded shrilly and produced a meaningless rhythm in his
thoughts. Kat--ter--feld, Kat--ter--feld, Kat--ter--feld, came the echo
from the black beams of the shed. Katter--feld, Kat--ter--feld,
Kat--ter--feld, came the reply from the other side. Then the rattling
noise spreads over a wider area. There is a final echo and the beams of
the shed disappear in the distance, and on they go in the silent night
until the sergeant on duty pulls out his watch and awakens the sleepers
with the unwelcome call, Relieve the guard!

Two days later the regiment arrived at Monida, where they had to leave
the train. The line running from there to Baker City was only to be used
for the transportation of baggage, while the troops had to march the
rest of the way--about two hundred and fifty miles. While the
field-kitchen wagons were being used for the first time near Monida,
the men received new boots, for the two pairs of shoes which each had
received in camp had turned out such marvels of American manufacture,
that they were absolutely worn out in less than no time. It was thought
wiser, in consideration of the long marches before the soldiers, to do
away with shoes altogether and to provide strong boots in their stead.
The hard leather of which the latter were made gave the soldiers no end
of trouble, and the strange foot-gear caused a good deal of grumbling
and discomfort.

It was here th