the "pueblo" of Tucson about the
beginning of the 16th century.

After a few delightful days, we broke camp and returned to Fort Lowell.

And now the summer was drawing to a close, and we were anticipating
the delights of the winter climate at Tucson, when, without a note of
warning, came the orders for Fort Niobrara. We looked, appalled, in each
other's faces, the evening the telegram came, for we did not even know
where Fort Niobrara was.

We all rushed into Major Wilhelm's quarters, for he always knew
everything. We (Mrs. Kautz and several of the other ladies of the post,
and myself) were in a state of tremendous excitement. We pounded on
Major Wilhelm's door and we heard a faint voice from his bedroom (for it
was after ten o'clock); then we waited a few moments and he said, "Come
in."

We opened the door, but there being no light in his quarters we could
not see him. A voice said: "What in the name of--" but we did not
wait for him to finish; we all shouted: "Where is Fort Niobrara?" "The
Devil!" he said. "Are we ordered there?" "Yes, yes," we cried; "where is
it?" "Why, girls," he said, relapsing into his customary moderate tones,
"It's a hell of a freezing cold place, away up north in Nebraska."

We turned our backs and went over to our quarters to have a
consultation, and we all retired with sad hearts.

Now, just think of it! To come to Fort Lowell in July, only to move in
November! What could it mean? It was hard to leave the sunny South, to
spend the winter in those congealed regions in the North. We were but
just settled, and now came another break-up!

Our establishment now, with two children, several servants, two saddle
horses, and additional household furnishings, was not so simple as
in the beginning of our army life, when three chests and a box or two
contained our worldly goods. Each move we made was more difficult than
the last; our allowance of baggage did not begin to cover what we had to
take along, and this added greatly to the expense of moving.

The enormous waste attending a move, and the heavy outlay incurred
in travelling and getting settled anew, kept us always poor; these
considerations increased our chagrin over this unexpected change of
station. There was nothing to be done, however. Orders are relentless,
even if they seem senseless, which this one did, to the women, at least,
of the Eighth Infantry.

CHAPTER XXX. FORT NIOBRARA

The journey itself, however, was not to b