ward
and westward. Excellent trout and other fish are caught in these
mountain streams. There are no high, rocky mountains to be seen, and, I
must confess, we were somewhat disappointed in the Pass. There is no
vegetation except grass and artemisia, and the scenery is entirely too
commonplace to satisfy our expectations of a pass through the _Rocky_
Mountains.

Some Indians were seen scouting about, of the Arapahoe tribe. And
Sergeant Wilson's party saw two bears, but as their rifles were stacked
some distance off the bears managed to make their escape.

Our camp is pitched among the sage bushes, infested with a tick or bug
which we dread as much as centipedes or scorpions; a knife can not cut
them, and there is no way of killing them except by burning. The
nearest water is three-quarters of a mile from camp, and that scarcely
fit to drink, the name of the stream, "Muddy Creek," plainly indicating
the nature of the water.

This evening we unloaded all the wagons and took all the bodies from
the running gear, in order to be ready to start early in the morning
for timber.

One of the messengers who were sent back to the Infantry returned to
camp this evening, our corporal having been left behind at the Platte,
where one of the mules had been lost in crossing. They went back after
the corporal this evening.

_July 9_ (Friday). We did not move our camp to-day, as twenty men were
sent back twelve miles to cut timber. We spent nearly all the day in
the woods, cutting fifty-four logs, each about thirty feet long and
eighteen to twenty inches in diameter. We started back about 4 o'clock,
but many little delaying accidents made it quite late before we reached
camp. Some of our party fired the loads out of their rifles when we
were near the Company, which alarmed the camp so much that all the men
were turned out under arms, supposing that they were being attacked by
Indians.

The Company was this morning divided into three squads, each assigned
to a sergeant, to be kept by him during the campaign--each sergeant is
to take his party for whatever service or duty he is given to perform.

_July 10_ (Saturday). Leaving the tents standing, as the sick were to
remain here, we took the timber to where it was to be unloaded and
used. Frequent recourse was had to shovels and picks on the trip,
cutting down hills, filling up ravines, etc. We went about three miles,
unloaded the timber, helped to pitch some tents, and then, the wago