manding
officer, superintended all of the arrangements and also assisted in
receiving. The supper was simply delicious--as all army suppers are--and
I fancy that she and other ladies of the garrison were responsible for
the perfect salads and cakes.

The orchestra was from Bozeman, so the music was very good. Quite a
party of young people also, many of them friends of ours, came up from
Bozeman, which not only swelled the number of guests, but gave life to
the dance, for in a small garrison like this the number of partners is
limited. The country about here is beautiful now; the snow is melting
on the mountains, and there is such a lovely green every place, I almost
wish that we might have remained until fall, for along the valleys and
through the canons there are grand trails for horseback riding, while
Fort Shaw has nothing of the kind.

FORT SHAW, MONTANA TERRITORY, July, 1880.

WE are with the commanding officer and his wife for a few days while our
house is being settled. Every room has just been painted and tinted and
looks so clean and bright. The Chinaman, squirrels, and chickens are
there now, and are already very much at home, and Charlie is delighted
that the chickens are so much admired.

The first part of the trip over was simply awful! The morning was
beautiful when we left Ellis--warm and sunny--and everybody came to see
us oft. We started in fine spirits, and all went well for ten or twelve
miles, when we got to the head waters of the Missouri, where the three
small rivers, Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison join and make the one big
river. The drive through the forest right there is usually delightful,
and although we knew that the water was high in the Gallatin by Fort
Ellis, we were wholly unprepared for the scene that confronted us when
we reached the valley. Not one inch of ground could be seen--nothing
but the trees surrounded; by yellow, muddy water that showed quite a
current.

The regular stage road has been made higher than the ground because of
these July freshets, when the snow is melting on the mountains, but it
was impossible to keep on it, as its many turns could not be seen,
and it would not have helped much either, as the water was deep. The
ambulance was in the lead, of course, so we were in all the excitement
of exploring unseen ground. The driver would urge the mules, and if the
leaders did not go down, very good--we would go on, perhaps a few yards.
If they did go down enough to