While waiting for supplies we received a new commanding officer, Brevet Major-General E.A.  Carr, who was the senior major of the regiment, and who ranked Colonel Royal.  He brought with him the now celebrated Forsyth scouts, who were commanded by Lieutenant Pepoon, a regular army officer.

[Illustration:  GEN’L E.A.  CARR.]

It was also while waiting in this camp that Major Brown received a new lieutenant to fill a vacancy in his company.  On the day that this officer was to arrive, Major Brown had his private ambulance brought out, and invited me to accompany him to the railroad station to meet his lieutenant, whose name was A.B.  Bache.  He proved to be a fine gentleman, and a brave, dashing officer.  On the way to the depot Major Brown had said, “Now, Cody, when we come back we’ll give Bache a lively ride and shake him up a little.”

Major Brown was a jolly good fellow, but sometimes he would get “a little off,” and as this was one of his “off days” he was bound to amuse himself in some original and mischievous way.  Reaching the depot just as the train came in, we easily found the Lieutenant, and giving him the back seat in the ambulance we were soon headed for camp.

Pretty soon Major Brown took the reins from his driver, and at once began whipping the mules.  After getting them into a lively gallop he pulled out his revolver and fired several shots.  The road was terribly rough and the night was so dark that we could hardly see where we were going.  It Was a wonderful piece of luck that we were not tipped over and our necks broken.  Finally Bache said, good-humoredly: 

“Is this the way you break in all your Lieutenants, Major?”

“Oh, no; I don’t do this as a regular thing, but it’s the way we frequently ride in this country,” said the Major; “just keep your seat, Mr. Bache, and we’ll take you through on time.”  The Major appropriated the reply of the old California stage driver, Hank Monk, to Horace Greely.

We were now rattling down a steep hill at full speed, and just as we reached the bottom, the front wheels struck a deep ditch over which the mules had jumped.  We were all brought up standing by the sudden stoppage of the ambulance.  Major Brown and myself were nearly pitched out on the wheels, while the Lieutenant came flying headlong from the back seat to the front of the vehicle.

“Take a back seat, Lieutenant,” coolly said Major Brown.

“Major, I have just left that seat,” said Bache.

We soon lifted the wagon out of the ditch, and then resumed our drive, running into camp under full headway, and creating considerable amusement.  Every one recognized the ambulance and knew at once that Major Brown and I were out on a “lark,” and therefore there was not much said about our exploit.  Halting with a grand flourish in front of his tent, Major Brown jumped out in his most gallant style and politely asked his lieutenant in.  A very pleasant evening was spent there, quite a number of the officers calling to make the acquaintance of the new officer, who entertained the visitors with an amusing account of the ride from the depot.