Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/220

MIUTARY EVOLUTIONS. .207 horse's hair look sleek and smooth. AlQn.'50 h?.s given particular attention to hia trappings, as well as to his lasso, for he intends to manipulate the same accord- ing to the progiram agreed upon. The chief at the re- quest of his august visitors has stretched ropes of rawhide so as to keep the immense throng back and give opi)ortunity for carrying oa the exhibition, and on the beautiful Kansas river bottom a ciiitSiblG spot has been selected. The sun is quite well up, only bohi^j cb-^ut tw,; hours from noon, when word is passed along the mass of natives that they were coming; and now com- mences the exercises of the day, which consists, of every soldier (thirty-five), there being seventeen double-files, with the general at the head, all. on foot, marching toward the grounds where they are first going to give the natives an object lesson in European military evolutions by troops on foot, ro ^.rith heads and bodies erect, in true military f aKliion, they march, march, march, keeping perfect step, v.rith their swords clanking, harquebuses on their should- ers, obeying the word of command in unison a.nd with precision. Now they are in perfect alignment, facing the chief and principal men, then the various evolu- tions are gone through; but first of all the "present arms" was promptly given, as weU as the commands corresponding with those used at the present day, and for about half an hour the small squad went through the various tactics then known to the mih- tary. There was no lack of appreciation on the part of the spectators, for there was beating of drums, blow;. ing of buffalo horns, squeaking from reed-Uke fifes,