e this evening which was divided up
amongst the different messes in the train.

25 miles.

18th. Saturday. We saw some Pawnees to-day, for the first time--four
came to the road to trade--about 20 more were hid in a gully a short
distance from us, who were seen by some of our men, although they tried
hard enough to secrete themselves. They are a treacherous, ill-looking
set, and I did not like the looks of them much. They have too much of
the cat look in their eyes, and when I see that in an Indian, I always
look out for treachery. We saw some buffalo to-day--one was killed last
night a short distance above our camp. We camped this night on the
Little Blue, where we found plenty of grass. Litwiler and Ranahan
killed two antelope this evening, which furnished our camp with fresh
meat again. We found plenty of signs of beaver this night, our sentries
hearing them splashing their tails in the water nearly all night; on
the banks of the river were trees one foot in diameter cut down by
them.

22 miles.

19. Sunday. We concluded to travel to-day. Left the Blue for the last
time about noon. A man had three horses and $500 stolen last night by
his own guard, who left him with his wife and two other women without a
team. We took in water at the last place that we struck the Blue river,
having 21 miles to travel without good water. Met a train coming from
Robadeau's trading post, with five wagon loads of buffalo skins and
other peltries. We stopped and wrote letters and sent back to the
States by them, for which we paid them 25 cents for each letter.
Robadeau himself was along, riding in a nice covered carriage, smoking
his pipe, enjoying all the comfort imaginable.

25 miles.

20th. We camped last night on the prairie without wood or water, only
some rotten slough water, bad enough to poison a horse. We had a wind
storm, with heavy thunder, just at night, but no rain. It came upon us
instantly without warning, and before we could secure our tents they
were all blown down but two, which were protected by, and secured to
the wagons. It was terrific, raising loaded wagons on the side next to
the wind, two feet from the ground; we expected they would be blown
over, and nothing saved them from being overturned but their loads, for
if they had not been loaded they would have been swept away before the
wind like feathers. Some of the time it was impossible for a man to
keep his feet. I never saw such a storm of wind in th