say to myself that so long as I had the approval of Laguerre and of my
own men and of my conscience I could afford not to mind what the
little souls said; but as a matter of fact I did mind it, and it
angered me exceedingly. Just as it hurt me at the Point to see that I
was not popular, it distressed me to find that the same unpopularity
had followed me into the Legion. The truth is that the officers were
jealous of me. They envied me my place as Adjutant, and they were
angry because Laguerre assigned one so much younger than themselves to
all the most important duties. They said that by showing favoritism he
was weakening his influence with the men and that he made a "pet" of
me. If he did I know that he also worked me five times as hard as
anyone else, and that he sent me into places where no one but himself
would go. The other officers had really no reason to object to me
personally. I gave them very little of my company, and though I spoke
pleasantly when we met I did not associate with them. Miller and Von
Ritter were always abusing me for not trying to make friends; but I
told them that, since the other officers spoke of me behind my back as
a cad, braggart, and snob, the least I could do was to keep out of
their way.

I was even more unpopular with the men, but there was a reason for
that; for I was rather severe with them, and imposed as strict a
discipline on them as that to which I had been accustomed at West
Point. The greater part of them were ne'er-do-wells and adventurers
picked up off the beach at Greytown, and they were a thoroughly
independent lot, reckless and courageous; but I doubt if they had ever
known authority or restraint, unless it was the restraint of a jail.
With the men of my own troop I got on well enough, for they saw I
understood how to take care of them, and that things went on more
smoothly when they were carried out as I had directed, so they obeyed