streams are fringed with a narrow
belt of forest. Here where there was abundance of water, the richest of
soil, which needed but to be "tickled with a hoe to laugh with a harvest,"
and where there was an ample supply of timber for building and for fuel,
they found many good-looking Indian farms with Indians riding about in
their picturesque costumes.

At an early hour in the afternoon they encamped in a smooth and luxuriant
meadow, upon the banks of a small stream flowing into the Kansas. Nearly
all the party were experienced backwoodsmen. Speedily, and with almost
military precision, the camp was formed in the following manner: The eight
carts were so arranged as to present a sort of barricade, encircling an
area about eighty yards in diameter. The cloth tents, such as are used in
the army, were pitched inside the enclosure. The animals were all hobbled
and turned out to feed in the meadow. The company was divided into four
messes of seven men each. Each mess had its cook. They quickly prepared
the evening meal.

At nightfall all the animals, having been well fed on the abundant grass,
were driven within the enclosure for the night and picketed. A small
steel-shod picket was driven firmly into the ground, to which the animal
was fastened by a rope about twenty feet long. The carts were regularly
arranged for defending the camp. A guard was mounted at eight o'clock,
consisting of three men, who were relieved every two or three hours. At
daybreak the camp was roused. The hobbled animals were again turned loose
upon the meadow or prairie to obtain their breakfast. The breakfast of the
men was generally over between six and seven o'clock. The march was then
resumed. There was a halt at noon for about two hours. Such was the usual
order of the march day after day.

The second night, just as they were about to encamp, one of the loose
horses started upon the full gallop, on his return, and was followed by
several others. Several men were sent in pursuit. They did not return with
the fugitives until midnight. One man lost his way and passed the whole
night upon the open prairie. At midnight it began to rain violently. By
some strange oversight, the tents were of such thin cloth that the rain
soaked through, and those within them were thoroughly drenched. The
discomfort of the night, however, was forgotten as the dawn of the
morning ushered in another lovely summer day.

The journey through the beautiful and picturesque sce