COT"]

[Illustration: "SMITH ARE YOU LAFFIN AT ME?"]

The horses has the softest of anyone, Mable. They dont even have to get
up for breakfast in the morning. We bring it to em in a little bag
filled with cereul. You tie this on there face. I guess they aint never
been fed before the war broke out. When they see you comin they start
jumpin round like starvin sailurs. I dont guess they like cereul. I
wouldnt ether three times a day. I thought theyd give em somethin
different Thanksgivin but not a chance. There always hopin it ull be
somethin else I guess. When they see the same old thing they get sore
and try to step on your feet.

The sargents stand way behind an say "Go on in. They wont hurt you." An
then when they land on your corn they say "Thats to bad. You didnt do it
right." I dont like sargents any better than horses.

An I dont kno as Im going to like the Captin much better ether. The
other day I got laffin while I was standin in line. Just laffin to
myself. Not disturbin nobody. The Captin turns round an says "Smith are
you laffin at me?" I says no sir an he says "Well what else was there to
laff at?" Thats the kind of a fello he is. I didn't sass him back or
nothin, Mable. Just looked at him an made him feel cheap. I saw him
again in the afternoon. Course I didnt salute. He says "What do you mean
by not salutin?" I told him I thought he was mad. Im glad Im not his
wife, Mable. You never know how to take a fello like that.

If I hadnt knowed they needed me Id have given him two weaks notise on
the spot. Duty before pleasure though. Thats me all over.

We took the guns out to drill the other day. The Captin was talkin about
indirect firin. Thats the way he is. Nothin straight forward about him.
I asked the sargent about it. He said indirect firin was where you shot
at one thing an aimed at another. I hate to butt in Mable but it didnt
seem right. I says I seen the Indien girl in the circus shoot the spots
out of a card over her shoulder but wouldnt it be more censible to cut
out the trick stuff till we was more used to the thing. You cant argue
with sargents, though.

Day after tomorrows inspecshun. They do it every Saturday. Thats another
thing Im thankful for. Theres only one Saturday a weak. We pull
everything out an pile it on our cots. Then the Captin an the Sargent
comes in. Every time its the same. He says "Thats very dirty Smith
wheres your other shirt." An I say "I aint got none, sir." An he says