slender woman who had intriguing features. No beauty in the classic sense, she had dark hair, large expressive eyes and looked intelligent, although quite prim and solemn. The other woman was older and a little more, well, robust and earthy.
Sarah Damon took the lead. “My brother has informed me that you are living a Spartan life in a tent and eating miserable canned food while you try to turn these poor boys into soldiers.”
“It’s not quite that awful, Mrs. Damon.”
“But it could be better. My brother is still too much of a civilian to understand military protocol and I know even less of it. So unless I am making a huge faux pas, we would like to invite you to dinner tonight. I can guarantee you that the Willard Hotel’s cuisine will surpass the tinned food you’ve been eating.”
“To tell you the truth, I think that anything that had once been alive would be better than the tinned food supplied by the Army, and, yes, I’d be delighted. Other than you two ladies and your brother, will your husbands be in attendance?”
Ryder noted a flicker of dismay before Sarah responded. “Both of our husbands have been dead for several years. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with the three of us.”
“Please accept my condolences. Again, I’m delighted.”
His acceptance was greeted with a radiant smile that totally changed Sarah Damon. Yes, he would very much like going to dinner with the two widows and the young Major Barnes. Maybe, he thought wickedly, he could get rid of the young major.
Ryder was enjoying that last thought when a portly middle-aged man in a civilian suit approached him. “May I speak with you for a moment, Colonel?”
The man had a heavy accent and he wore his clothes like they were uncomfortable and that he would rather have been in a uniform. “Of course, and what embassy do you represent? From your accent, I would guess that it is either Germany’s or Austria’s.”
The man blinked and smiled. “Well done. I am Adolf Helmsdorf and I have the honor to be a colonel in the army of Imperial Germany. I am further honored to serve the Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm, whom, it is hoped, will be the first in a long line of German emperors ruling the new nation of Germany.”
Ryder nodded politely. “I’m honored to meet you. May I assume that you are assigned to the German embassy, which means that you have diplomatic immunity and are not a spy?”
“Colonel Ryder, why stoop to spying when all I had to do was follow the crowd to a very public event and observe to my heart’s content? And yes, I do have diplomatic immunity, for all that‘s worth. All I wanted to do, Colonel, was congratulate you on the efficiency shown by your men. I’ve watched other volunteer units and many of them would give a mob a bad name. Your army has a long ways to go before it can take on even an enemy as inept and corrupt as Spain’s. However, your regiment is off to a very good start, although I’m not sure I would recommend ice cream as a reward for a battle well fought.” That last comment was said with a small smile.
Ryder shrugged. He could not argue with that observation or its source. The new Imperial German Army, which previously had been the Prussian Army, was considered to be the finest in Europe. The Germans had defeated France and Austria-Hungary along with a number of smaller countries as Prussia became Germany.
Helmsdorf continued. “I was pleased to see that you took Gatlings with you up the hill. The machine guns are excellent defensive weapons, but not too many officers try to use them as offensive weapons. You, of course, did that when you saved Custer, and we in Germany have been trying to find offensive uses for them as well.”
Ryder was both surprised and pleased that the German knew about this exploits on the Little Big Horn.
“On the other hand, Colonel Ryder, I would strongly urge your government to find lighter weight uniforms. Your men will be weak and uncomfortable in what
Sarah Damon took the lead. “My brother has informed me that you are living a Spartan life in a tent and eating miserable canned food while you try to turn these poor boys into soldiers.”
“It’s not quite that awful, Mrs. Damon.”
“But it could be better. My brother is still too much of a civilian to understand military protocol and I know even less of it. So unless I am making a huge faux pas, we would like to invite you to dinner tonight. I can guarantee you that the Willard Hotel’s cuisine will surpass the tinned food you’ve been eating.”
“To tell you the truth, I think that anything that had once been alive would be better than the tinned food supplied by the Army, and, yes, I’d be delighted. Other than you two ladies and your brother, will your husbands be in attendance?”
Ryder noted a flicker of dismay before Sarah responded. “Both of our husbands have been dead for several years. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with the three of us.”
“Please accept my condolences. Again, I’m delighted.”
His acceptance was greeted with a radiant smile that totally changed Sarah Damon. Yes, he would very much like going to dinner with the two widows and the young Major Barnes. Maybe, he thought wickedly, he could get rid of the young major.
Ryder was enjoying that last thought when a portly middle-aged man in a civilian suit approached him. “May I speak with you for a moment, Colonel?”
The man had a heavy accent and he wore his clothes like they were uncomfortable and that he would rather have been in a uniform. “Of course, and what embassy do you represent? From your accent, I would guess that it is either Germany’s or Austria’s.”
The man blinked and smiled. “Well done. I am Adolf Helmsdorf and I have the honor to be a colonel in the army of Imperial Germany. I am further honored to serve the Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm, whom, it is hoped, will be the first in a long line of German emperors ruling the new nation of Germany.”
Ryder nodded politely. “I’m honored to meet you. May I assume that you are assigned to the German embassy, which means that you have diplomatic immunity and are not a spy?”
“Colonel Ryder, why stoop to spying when all I had to do was follow the crowd to a very public event and observe to my heart’s content? And yes, I do have diplomatic immunity, for all that‘s worth. All I wanted to do, Colonel, was congratulate you on the efficiency shown by your men. I’ve watched other volunteer units and many of them would give a mob a bad name. Your army has a long ways to go before it can take on even an enemy as inept and corrupt as Spain’s. However, your regiment is off to a very good start, although I’m not sure I would recommend ice cream as a reward for a battle well fought.” That last comment was said with a small smile.
Ryder shrugged. He could not argue with that observation or its source. The new Imperial German Army, which previously had been the Prussian Army, was considered to be the finest in Europe. The Germans had defeated France and Austria-Hungary along with a number of smaller countries as Prussia became Germany.
Helmsdorf continued. “I was pleased to see that you took Gatlings with you up the hill. The machine guns are excellent defensive weapons, but not too many officers try to use them as offensive weapons. You, of course, did that when you saved Custer, and we in Germany have been trying to find offensive uses for them as well.”
Ryder was both surprised and pleased that the German knew about this exploits on the Little Big Horn.
“On the other hand, Colonel Ryder, I would strongly urge your government to find lighter weight uniforms. Your men will be weak and uncomfortable in what
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