Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
January 7, 1918

Dear Blanche,

Your letter received this noon. I thought I
had thanked you for the fruit cake etc. It seems
as though I owe oe letters and guegs I will
never get caught up. That fruit cake sure wagw
good and will be glad to Bet all you can send. I
have been transferred to the First Section and it
has a fine, healthy appetite for cake and fudge.

It is about my trun to treat so how is it by you?

I dont think the other Bassett has gotten any of
my mail that he didnt bring to me. He is about my
age and seems to be a fine feilow. I think if you
make a printed “A" after Co. there will be no mis-
takes as he is in Co. C-6th and a written A may be
mistaken for a C. I like the lst Sevtion better
than the Sth as the latter is the heaguarters radio
Station and moves about less than the ather four,
Which are mule pack stations and see more real action.
in the field. We have the best non-com' officers in
this section and some fine fellows. Our three mules
are therbest behaved, but we got a roughneck bunch of
horses. "Ten" is the only sensible horse in the sec-
tion. He is one peach of a horse alright,but he has
one fault and that is his hard mouth. When we are

on a gallop, I can stand up in my stirrups and lean
back on the reins and he wont notice it; however a
little two-hand sawing will keep him back in line. I
am dippy’ over riding and last Sunday a bugler and I
went out for the afternoon and got caught in a sleet
storm five miles out from the Fort. The wet snow

and sleet froze as it fell forming a glaze of ice
that our smooth-shod horses couldn't keep therfeet
on. We couldn't find a place on or by the road where
they could stand, so after a couple# falls, we had to
dismount and lead. We came to a plank bridge where
we had to sand the path in order: to get Collin's
horse across. It sounds pretty fishy but you wouldnt
think so if you had seen Ten with each of his four
feet skidding in a different direction at the same
time. We got to the stables an hour late and it.took
another hour to rub dry and care for our horses.