No one rebuked him. A sentinel who had just mastered the manual of arms saluted with great pride as Roosevelt passed; then he added heartily:
“Good evening, Colonel!” This breach of military etiquette the Colonel found it wise to overlook.
Another sentinel, when mosquitoes were bad, slapped at them vigorously, with this side remark to the Colonel:
“Ain’t they bad?”
“That they are!” returned Roosevelt, slapping away in his turn.
The horses for the regiment were brought from the Western ranges. Some of them were so wild that the men were compelled to throw them down and tie them before they could be shod. Others bucked their riders. The regiment, however, was not lacking in men who knew how to tame and handle rebellious broncos, and the splendid horsemanship of the riders resulted in them making their horses perform each maneuver with speed and accuracy. However vicious or restless a horse might be, his rider would force him to stay in line. Naturally, such horsemen and such horses gave the regiment an appearance of dash and ease that excited the admiration of all who saw the skirmish drills.
Colonel Roosevelt’s own mounts came from Texas. While the price paid for them was only $50 each—ridiculously low compared to the high price of horseflesh during the world war—they proved tough and hardy and rendered Roosevelt excellent service.
Colonel Wood and Lieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt were anxious to get their men to the firing line. They knew the regular army would have the most difficult work, and their object was to train and equip their regiment so that its fighting efficiency would gain it a place at the very front. Finally marching orders came. The men cheered and were off.
A big disappointment—though of a minor nature so far as military affairs were concerned—was in store for them. A pity it is to narrate that this body of men were not allowed to show their prowess as horsemen. It developed that, after all, the men were not to be used as mounted soldiers. The blow was an especially hard one to Roosevelt, who had trained his men in shock tactics for use against hostile cavalry. The decision was also a trying one for some of the men who were more at home in the saddle than on foot.
However, the men took the order like good soldiers, and in slouch hats, blue flannel shirts, brown trousers, leggings and boots, with handkerchiefs knotted around their throats, they marched off on the first step of their journey to Cuba.