Page:The history and achievements of the Fort Sheridan officers' training camps.djvu/222

 ��THE FORT SHERIDAN ASSOCIATION

��the anatomy of the horse and his diseases — common and uncommon — and rode and drilled mounted with and without saddles, until by fours they per- formed w^ith remarkable finish and skill. It w^as not until the Camp was nearly over that a rumor spread about that the cavalry troops of the training camps would in all probability not be used to officer new^ squadrons to be sent abroad. The true new^s came too late to permit of any revision in the cavalry training schedule. It w^as a blow^ that struck disappointment in the heart of many w^hose love of horses had led them into that branch of the service. But the cavalrymen willingly w^ere equal to any emergency, as was later so w^ell indi- cated by the type of machine gun companies w^hich they w^hipped into shape at Camps Custer and Grant.

A time of dire dread to every man in Camp was Saturday morning, after inspection. Hour tests w^ere given, covering the w^ork of the w^eek. Marks made on these would be sure to affect a man's chances of surviving all cuts. The papers in some organizations, marked by men chosen by the instructor for the purpose, were given back the follow^ing week, and brought joy and sorrow in varying degrees to the recipients.

True enough, there were cuts made. Some came at the time of reorgani- zation, some one month later and, after that a few^ men were dropped from each organization every w^eek. These w^ere serious times of thought and w^orry to both candidates and instructors.

���ON AND OFF AGAIN

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