_Dere Mable:_

Having nothin better to do I take up my pen to rite.

We have been here now three weeks. As far as I am concerned I am all
ready to go. I told the Captin that I was ready any time. He said yes,
but that wed have to wait for the slow ones cause they was all goin
together. I says was I to go out to drill with the rest. He said yes
more for the example than anything else. Its kind of maddening to be
hangin round here when I might be over there helpin the Sammies put a
stop to this thing.

[Illustration: "YOU WALK A POST BUT THERE AINT NO POST"]

In the mean time I been doin guard duty. Seems like I been doin it every
night but I know what there up against and I dont say nothin. Guard duty
is something like extemperaneus speakin. You got to know everything your
goin to say before you start. Its very tecknickle. For instance you walk
a post but there aint no post. An you mount guard but you dont really
mount nothin. An you turn out the guard but you dont really turn em out.
They come out them selves. Just the other night I was walkin along
thinkin of you Mable an my feet which was hurtin. It made me awful
lonesome. An officer come up and he says why dont you draw your pistol
when you here someone comin. An I says I dont wait till the sheep is
stole I drew it this afternoon from the Supply sargent. An I showed it
to him tucked inside my shirt where noone could get it away from me
without some tussel, you bet, Mable. But it seems that you got to keep