were comfortably fed before those in the other troops had their fires
going.

Von Ritter had said to me that during the two weeks in camp the men
had used up all their tobacco, and that their nerves were on edge for
lack of something to smoke. So I hunted up a native who owned a
tobacco patch, and from him, for three dollars in silver, I bought
three hundred cigars. I told Von Ritter to serve out six of them to
each of the men of D Troop. It did me good to see how much they
enjoyed them. For the next five minutes every man I met had a big
cigar in his mouth, which he would remove with a grin, and say, "Thank
you, Captain." I did not give them the tobacco to gain popularity, for
in active service I consider that tobacco is as necessary for the man
as food, and I also believe that any officer who tries to buy the
good-will of his men is taking the quickest way to gain their
contempt.

Soldiers know the difference between the officer who bribes and pets
them, and the one who, before his own tent is set up, looks to his men
and his horses, who distributes the unpleasant duties of the camp
evenly, and who knows what he wants done the first time he gives an
order, and does not make unnecessary work for others because he cannot
make up his mind.

After I had seen the mules watered and picketed in the public corral,
I went to look for the General, whom I found with the other officers
at the house of the Alcalde. They had learned news of the greatest
moment. Two nights previous, General Garcia had been attacked in force
at Santa Barbara, and had abandoned the town without a fight. Nothing
more was known, except that he was either falling back along the trail