第39章

Wewereonthetransport。Therewasnohardlabortodo；andtheprisonconsistedofanothercow-puncherwhokeptguardoverhimwithhiscarbine，evidentlydividedinhisfeelingsastowhetherhewouldlikemosttoshoothimortolethimgo。Whenwelanded，somebodytoldtheprisonerthatIintendedtopunishhimbykeepinghimwiththebaggage。Heatoncecametomeingreatagitation，saying：“Colonel，theysayyou’regoingtoleavemewiththebaggagewhenthefightison。Colonel，ifyoudothat，IwillnevershowmyfaceinArizonaagain。Colonel，ifyouwillletmegotothefront，IpromiseIwillobeyanyoneyousay；anyoneyousay，Colonel。”withtheevidentfeelingthat，afterthisconcession，Icouldnot，asagentleman，refusehisrequest。AccordinglyIanswered：“Shields，thereisnooneinthisregimentmoreentitledtobeshotthanyouare，andyoushallgotothefront。”Hisgratitudewasgreat，andhekeptrepeating，“I’llneverforgetthis，Colonel，never。”Nordidhe。Whenwegotveryhardup，hewouldnowandthenmanagetogetholdofsomeflourandsugar，andwouldcookadoughnutandbringitroundtome，andwatchmewithadelightedsmileasIateit。Hebehavedextremelywellinbothfights，andafterthesecondoneIhadhimformallybeforemeandremittedhissentence——somethingwhichofcourseIhadnottheslightestpowertodo，althoughatthetimeitseemednaturalandpropertome。

Whenwecametobemusteredout，theregularofficerwhowasdoingthemustering，afterallthemenhadbeendischarged，finallyaskedmewheretheprisonerwas。Isaid，“Whatprisoner？”Hesaid，“Theprisoner，themanwhowassentencedtoayear’simprisonmentwithhardlaboranddishonorabledischarge。”Isaid，“Oh！Ipardonedhim“；towhichheresponded，“Ibegyourpardon；youdidwhat？”ThismademegraspthefactthatIhadexceededauthority，andIcouldonlyanswer，“Well，Ididpardonhim，anyhow，andhehasgonewiththerest“；

whereuponthemustering-outofficersankbackinhischairandremarked，“Hewassentencedbyacourtmartial，andthesentencewasapprovedbythemajor-generalcommandingthedivision。Youwerealieutenant-colonel，andyoupardonedhim。Well，itwasnervy，that’sallI’llsay。”

Thesimplefactwasthatunderthecircumstancesitwasnecessaryformetoenforcedisciplineandcontroltheregiment，andthereforetorewardandpunishindividualsinwhateverwaytheexigenciesdemanded。

Ioftenexplainedtothemenwhatthereasonsforanorderwere，thefirsttimeitwasissued，iftherewasanytroubleontheirpartinunderstandingwhattheywererequiredtodo。Theywereveryintelligentandveryeagertodotheirduty，andIhardlyeverhadanydifficultythesecondtimewiththem。If，however，therewastheslightestwillfulshirkingofdutyorinsubordination，Ipunishedinstantlyandmercilessly，andthewholeregimentcordiallybackedmeup。Tohavepunishedmenforfaultsandshortcomingswhichtheyhadnoopportunitytoknowweresuchwouldhavebeenasunwiseastohavepermittedanyoftheoccasionalbadcharacterstoexercisetheslightestlicense。Itwasaregimentwhichwassensitiveaboutitsdignityandwasverykeenlyalivetojusticeandtocourtesy，butwhichcordiallyapprovedabsenceofmollycoddling，insistenceupontheperformanceofduty，andsummarypunishmentofwrong-doing。

InthefinalfightingatSanJuan，whenwecapturedoneofthetrenches，JackGreenwayhadseizedaSpaniard，andshortlyafterwardsIfoundJackleadinghiscaptiveroundwithastring。Itoldhimtoturnhimovertoamanwhohadtwoorthreeothercaptives，sothattheyshouldallbetakentotherear。ItwastheonlytimeIeversawJacklookaggrieved。“Why，Colonel，can’tIkeephimformyself？”heasked，plaintively。IthinkhehadanideathatasatrophyofhisbowandspeartheSpaniardwouldmakeafinebodyservant。

Onereasonthatweneverhadtheslightesttroubleintheregimentwasbecause，whenwegotdowntohardpan，officersandmensharedexactlyalike。Itisallrighttohavedifferencesinfoodandthelikeintimesofpeaceandplenty，wheneverybodyiscomfortable。Butinreallyhardtimesofficersandmenmustsharealikeifthebestworkistobedone。AslongasIhadnothingbuttwohardtacks，whichwastheallowancetoeachmanonthemorningaftertheSanJuanfight，noonecouldcomplain；butifIhadhadanyprivatelittleluxuriesthemenwouldverynaturallyhaverealizedkeenlytheirownshortages。

SoonaftertheGuasimasfightwewereputonshortcommons；andasI

knewthatagooddealoffoodhadbeenlandedandwasonthebeachatSiboney，ImarchedthirtyorfortyofthemendowntoseeifIcouldnotgetsomeandbringitup。Ifinallyfoundacommissaryofficer，andheaskedmewhatIwanted，andIanswered，anythinghehad。Sohetoldmetolookaboutformyself。Ifoundanumberofsacksofbeans，Ithinkaboutelevenhundredpounds，onthebeach；andtoldtheofficerthatIwantedelevenhundredpoundsofbeans。Heproducedabookofregulations，andshowedmetheappropriatesectionandsubdivisionwhichannouncedthatbeanswereissuedonlyfortheofficers’mess。Thisdidmenogood，andItoldhimso。Hesaidhewassorry，andIansweredthathewasnotassorryasIwas。Ithen“studiedonit。”asBr’rRabbitwouldsay，andcamebackwitharequestforelevenhundredpoundsofbeansfortheofficers’mess。Hesaid，“Why，Colonel，yourofficerscan’teatelevenhundredpoundsofbeans。”towhichIresponded，“Youdon’tknowwhatappetitesmyofficershave。”HethensaidhewouldsendtherequisitiontoWashington。ItoldhimIwasquitewilling，solongashegavemethebeans。Hewasagoodfellow，sowefinallyeffectedaworkingcompromise——hegottherequisitionandIgotthebeans，althoughhewarnedmethatthepricewouldprobablybedeductedfrommysalary。

Undersomeregulationorotheronlytheregularsupplytrainswereallowedtoact，andweweresupposednottohaveanyhorsesormulesintheregimentitself。Thiswasveryprettyintheory；but，asamatteroffact，thesupplytrainswerenotnumerousenough。Mymenhadanaturalgeniusforacquiringhorsefleshinoddways，andI

continuallyfoundthattheyhadstakedoutinthebrushvariouscapturedSpanishcavalryhorsesandCubanponiesandabandonedcommissarymules。Puttingthesetogether，Iwouldorganizeasmallpacktrainandworkitindustriouslyforadayortwo，untiltheylearnedaboutitatheadquartersandconfiscatedit。ThenIwouldhavetowaitforaweekorsountilmymenhadaccumulatedsomemoreponies，horses，andmules，theregimentmeanwhilelivinginplentyonwhatwehadgotbeforethetrainwasconfiscated。

Allofourmenweregoodataccumulatinghorses，butwithinourownranksIthinkwewereinclinedtoawardthepalmtoourchaplain。

Therewasnotabettermanintheregimentthanthechaplain，andtherecouldnothavebeenabetterchaplainforourmen。Hetookcareofthesickandthewounded，heneversparedhimself，andhedideveryduty。Inaddition，hehadanaturalaptitudeforacquiringmules，whichmadesomeadmirer，whentheregimentwasdisbanded，proposethatweshouldhaveaspecialmedalstruckforhim，with，ontheobverse，“AMulepassantandChaplainregardant。”AfterthesurrenderofSantiago，aPhiladelphiaclergymanwhomIknewcamedowntoGeneralWheeler’sheadquarters，andaftervisitinghimannouncedthatheintendedtocallontheRoughRiders，becauseheknewtheircolonel。

OneofGeneralWheeler’saides，LieutenantSteele，wholikedusbothindividuallyandasaregiment，andwhoappreciatedsomeofourways，askedtheclergyman，afterhehadannouncedthatheknewColonelRoosevelt，“ButdoyouknowColonelRoosevelt’sregiment？”“No。”saidtheclergyman。“Verywell，then，letmegiveyouapieceofadvice。

WhenyougodowntoseetheColonel，don’tletyourhorseoutofyoursight；andifthechaplainisthere，don’tgetoffthehorse！”

WecamebacktoMontaukPointandsoonafterweredisbanded。Wehadbeenintheserviceonlyalittleoverfourmonths。TherearenofourmonthsofmylifetowhichIlookbackwithmoreprideandsatisfaction。Ibelievemostearnestlyandsincerelyinpeace，butasthingsareyetinthisworldthenationthatcannotfight，thepeoplethat