as Kipling's soldier
sings:

"With its best foot first And the road a-sliding past, An' every
bloomin' campin'-ground Exactly like the last".

Beal's Springs did not differ from the other ranch, except that possibly
it was even more desolate. But a German lived there, who must have had
some knowledge of cooking, for I remember that we bought a peach pie
from him and ate it with a relish. I remember, too, that we gave him a
good silver dollar for it.

The only other incident of that day's march was the suicide of Major
Worth's pet dog "Pete." Having exhausted his ability to endure, this
beautiful red setter fixed his eye upon a distant range of mountains,
and ran without turning, or heeding any call, straight as the crow
flies, towards them and death. We never saw him again; a ranchman told
us he had known of several other instances where a well-bred dog had
given up in this manner, and attempted to run for the hills. We had a
large greyhound with us, but he did not desert.

Major Worth was much affected by the loss of his dog, and did not join
us at supper that night. We kept a nice fat quail for him, however, and
at about nine o'clock, when all was still and dark, Jack entered the
Major's tent and said: "Come now, Major, my wife has sent you this nice
quail; don't give up so about Pete, you know."

The Major lay upon his camp-bed, with his face turned to the wall of his
tent; he gave a deep sigh, rolled himself over and said: "Well, put it
on the table, and light the candle; I'll try to eat it. Thank your wife
for me."

So the Lieutenant made a light, and lo! and behold, the plate was there,
but the quail was gone! In the darkness, our great kangaroo hound had
stolen noiselessly upon his master's heels, and quietly removed the
bird. The two officers were dumbfounded. Major Worth said: "D--n my
luck;" and turned his face again to the wall of his tent.

Now Major Worth was just the dearest and gentlest sort of a man, but he
had been born and brought up in the old army, and everyone knows that
times and customs were different then.

Men drank more and swore a good deal, and while I do not wish my story
to seem profane, yet I would not describe army life or the officers as
I knew them, if I did not allow the latter to use an occasional strong
expression.

The incident, however, served to cheer up the Major, though he continued
to deplore the loss of his beautiful dog.

For the next two days our route lay o