Thirty minutes after the flag first went up a group of Spanish officers were seen approaching. As they came nearer it was plain that the party consisted of a general and six aids. Captain Scott advanced to meet the Spaniards, and was informed that the general carried a message for General Brooke. The Spaniard declined to entrust the message to Captain Scott. Captain Groome was informed of the difficulty, and at once galloped back to the American camp, returning in a short time with General Sheridan and others of General Brooke's staff. After much formality the Spanish general delivered his message to General Sheridan and ceremoniously retired.
At eight o'clock the next day Lieutenant Ryan and a like detachment from H Troop relieved Lieutenant Browning. The next day Lieutenant McFadden, with Sergeant Bates, Corporal Butcher and Privates Green, Newbold, Wilson, Fell, Woodman and Armstrong relieved the H men. The day following, at eight o'clock, Lieutenant Heiberg and his detachment of regulars, and relieving them on the morrow went Lieutenant Browning, Sergeant Smith, Corporal Thibault and Privates Jacobs, Wharton, Neilson, Barclay, Cramp and Shober. Thus, as in all cavalry work for General Brooke's army at Guayama, H Troop and the City Troop took share and share alike.
Meantime the Troopers, in camp near Guayama, had little besides routine duty to keep them occupied. The rainy season was on hand with a vengeance. Day and night, with but slight intervals of clear weather, it rained and poured. Good-sized creeks would be formed in a half hour by the floods of rain, and these little streams seemed always aimed straight at the Troopers' camp. To change clothing was useless, and at times it was impossible to obtain dry garments. Flannel shirts would be spread out in the hot sun to dry at eleven o'clock, and at half-past they would be lying in pools of water, getting more thoroughly drenched each minute.
Since leaving the United States, a wonderful change had taken place in the appearance of the City Troopers. At the time of sailing from Newport News, all the cavalrymen were bronzed and weather beaten. After but little more than two weeks in southern Puerto Rico, exposed daily to natural steam baths and kept in a constant state of perspiration, the men were bleached out. Faces once ruddy became as white as paper, and all the men had lost rapidly in weight.
AT THE BEACH NEAR GUAYAMA.
The horses, too, showed the effect of the tropical climate. When herded together there was not one head that did not droop, and their eyes were without spirit. The change in men and beasts had come quickly, but until after it was known that hostilities were over the Troopers had been too busy to notice the change in one another.
Each day the horses had to be herded, and the tidings that an animal had broken away and must be pursued was always hailed with delight, as the chase was a welcome break in the slow camp life.
As there was a splendid beach about three miles from the camp at Guayama, and about the same distance from Arroyo, Captain Groome issued orders to the City Troopers for one platoon to bathe in the morning, each day, and a second platoon in the afternoon. At the beach the trees and foliage extended clear to the water's edge. In some places the water was deep right from the tree line, but there were three or four sand bars that extended way out, so that a bather could walk as far out in the water at some points as at Atlantic City. There was always a heavy surf at the beach, that made bathing a good sport.
It was also great fun to take the horses into the surf. At first the greys did not take kindly to surf bathing, but under the wise guidance of their riders they soon were taught that waves would not hurt them, and in some of the deep water places they quickly learned to take long swims with the Troopers.