mules. The two troops of cavalry, which had been offered and refused
as an escort, had reached this camping-place some time before, so that
the wearied members of the detachment found pleasant camp-fires
already throwing their weird lights and shadows over the drooping
branches of the royal palm.

Here, in the midst of the jungle, they pitched their first camp in
Cuba. The condition of the mules was duly looked to, their shoulders
washed down with strong salty water, their feet carefully examined,
and the animals then tethered to graze their fill on the succulent
sugar-cane, after having had a bountiful supply of oats. Meantime the
camp cooks had a kettle full of coffee simmering, and canned roast
beef warming over the fire, and after a hearty meal the tired men
stretched themselves upon the ground, with no canopy except the stars
and only one sentinel over the camp, and slept more soundly than they
had on board the tossing Cherokee.




CHAPTER V.

THE MARCH.


At early dawn the battery arose, and, after a quick breakfast, resumed
the march. Some half-mile farther on they passed a battery of light
artillery which had preceded them on the road by some nine hours, and
which had camped at this point awaiting forage. At Siboney the
detachment stopped to look after the detail from the 13th Infantry,