s torn from the trees in shreds sufficiently
small for the animals to masticate. The Indians of the Rocky
Mountains, when suffering from hunger, are often driven to the
extremity of eating this material. For miles, not unfrequently, the
traveler discovers these trees denuded of their bark, after a party
has passed through on their way to find the buffalo. The rough,
outside cuticle is discarded, and the tender texture, next to the body
of the tree, is the part selected for food. It will act in staying the
appetite, but cannot, for any great length of time, support life.
It is dangerous to allow starving animals to eat freely of it; the
trappers, therefore, feed it to them but sparingly.

The intense cold operated to bring upon them another serious annoyance
in the shape of immense herds of starving buffalo, which, goaded on
by the pangs of hunger, would watch for an opportunity to gore the
animals and steal their scanty allowance of provender. It was only by
building large fires in the valleys and constantly standing guard that
the trappers succeeded in keeping them off.

During the winter, to beguile the time, the whites vied with
their Indian allies in many of their sports. As game existed in
superabundance, always ready for a loaded rifle, both parties were
contented and happy. Time flew away rapidly and soon brought again the
sunshine of spring with the buds and blossoms, gay wild flowers, green
herbage and forest verdure. For the purpose of procuring supplies,
the trappers dispatched two messengers to Fort Laramie. They did not
return and were never again heard from. The conclusion which gained
belief was, that they had been murdered by the Sioux Indians. The
party waited as long as they possibly could for the return of their
two companions, but, finally, were compelled to commence the spring
hunt without them. They trapped a short time on the Yellow Stone
River and then went to the Twenty-Five-Yard River. From thence
they proceeded to the head waters of the Missouri, and, on the most
northern of its forks, remained some time, meeting with considerable
success. Here they obtained news of the Blackfeet Indians, which
showed that the ravages of the small pox had been greatly over
estimated. They were still nearly as strong, and in character, had not
at all become subdued. Upon drawing near to the source of this river,
they discovered that the main village of these savages, their old
foes, was in close proximity. Th