Texas steer, and is as
easily frightened at nothing. Sometimes as insignificant a circumstance
as a prairie-dog barking at the entrance to his burrow, a figure in the
distance, or even the shadow of a passing cloud will start every animal
in the train, and away they go, rushing into each other, and becoming
entangled in such a manner that both drivers and mules have often been
crushed to death. It not infrequently happened that five or six of the
teams would dash off and never could be found. I remember one instance
that occurred on the trail between Fort Hays and Fort Dodge, during
General Sheridan's winter campaign against the allied plains tribes
in 1868. Three of the wagons were dragged away by the mules, in a few
moments were out of sight, and were never recovered, although diligent
search was made for them for some days. Ten years afterward a farmer,
who had taken up a claim in what is now Rush County, Kansas, discovered
in a ravine on his place the bones of some animals, decayed parts of
harness, and the remains of three army-wagons, which with other evidence
proved them to be the identical ones lost from the train so many years
before.

The largest six-mule wagon-train that was ever strung out on the plains
transported the supplies for General Custer's command during the winter
above referred to. It comprised over eight hundred army-wagons, and was
four miles in length in one column, or one mile when in four lines--the
usual formation when in the field.

The animals of the train were either hobbled or herded at night,
according to the locality; if in an Indian country, always hobbled or,
preferably, tied up to the tongue of the wagon to which they belonged.
The hobble is simply a strip of rawhide, with two slides of the same
material. Placed on the front legs of the mule just at the fetlock, the
slides pushed close to the limb, the animal could move around freely
enough to graze, but was not able to travel very fast in the event of
a stampede. In the Indian country, it was usual at night, or in the
daytime when halting to feed, to form a corral of the wagons, by placing
them in a circle, the wheels interlocked and the tongues run under the
axles, into which circle the mules, on the appearance of the savages,
were driven, and which also made a sort of fortress behind which the
teamsters could more effectually repel an attack.

In the earlier trading expeditions to Santa Fe, the formation and march
of the carav