r treading on them, but they escaped us
by getting into their holes, or we escaped them by getting out of their
way. The rear guard killed one or two.

We left the old road in the morning and took Bryans. After about two
hours' march we reached Lodge Pole Creek and forded it, our course then
lying through the valley of the creek. There was good grass all through
the valley, and myriads of flowers, but no wood. We were obliged to
burn buffalo chips.

_June 13_ (Sunday). We marched to-day, as the Colonel wishes to get to
a pine country about a hundred miles ahead. We went nineteen and
three-quarter miles, this being the second camp on Lodge Pole Creek.

An order was published prohibiting dogs running at large, either on the
march, at a halt, or in camp--hard on the canines, but they find no
sympathy. Two other orders were published, one obliging the sick to
attend all roll calls--no man has a right to be sick on a
campaign!--the other stating that the Company should fall in at
reveille _under arms_, so that on days when we do not march our weapons
may remain stacked outside, to give the rain a chance to wash them and
to allow the sun to better season the stocks.

_June 14_ (Monday). We marched nineteen miles along Lodge Pole Creek,
the valley of which is one of the most beautiful portions of this
country, requiring only the presence of trees to make it perfectly
charming. Two chains of sand-bluffs skirt the valley, one on either
side, and, toward the close of our march these bluffs began to assume a
rocky appearance.

A curious and interesting novelty was seen by us to-day, an Indian dead
lodge. It was a wigwam, built in the usual manner, the poles covered
with buffalo hides, hair side in, and the opening of the lodge sewed
shut with rawhide thongs. A pole was planted in the center of the tent
and projected through the covering, about eight feet higher than the
door; to the pole was suspended the distinguishing badge of the chief
buried within, composed of painted eagle feathers, ornamented in a very
neat manner with horsehair and beads. The ground around the lodge was
ditched, and the sods piled around the bottom of the skins. About ten
feet from the lodge, in front of the door, was a square patch of earth,
dug up and carefully smoothed, and behind it a small mound of earth and
sods, on top of which were placed two buffalo skulls, bleached white
with the rains; they were arranged facing the lodge, as like two silent