those who were unable to walk by reason of age or infirmity.
One of the puppies thus confined kept yelping, probably from hunger, an
old indian perhaps tired of hearing it, or thinking that it disturbed
us, steped up & shot it in the head with a blunt arrow & killed it, and
then threw it in the river. They were in a hurry to cross over and
crowded down to the waters edge, the ferrymen would not take but a few
of them at a time for there was not room for the waggons, one old skuaw
was as mad as a wet hen, she scolded a perfect storm, one of the men who
stood by understood her, & interpreted to us what she said, & it served
to amuse us not a little. Our turn now come we crossed over to the wild
and unhabited (except by indians) Territory of Nebraska. We soon had our
tent up got some dinner, the indians came round the tent, some begging,
some having a few articles to trade, and as they concluded a bargain or
"swop" as they call it, they shake hands with all around and say, good,
good, & then depart.

[April 30--17th day] Last night I slept but little, the indians had
encamped not far from us, & they kept up a constant singing, or howling
for it was the most doleful noise I ever heard, & they were passing
around the tent, & some would pull open the door & peep in, I knew they
had liquor, for I had seen several of them drunk, I was fearful what
they might do, the strangeness of the scene & the wildness of the place,
made me conjure up in my mind all the indian massacres of which I had
ever read or heard, but the Major[23] & his family slept soundly, for he
had been through before consequently he heeded them not, nor did I say a
word, but was glad when day broke; my fears were dispelled with the
darkness. Seated outside the tent I was amused watching the indians
shoot with their bows & arrows for 5 or 10 cts that some men would put
up for the purpose of seeing them shoot, or looking at them ride on
their ponies in a manner that none but indians can; it is a novel sight
to see them, their faces painted, or tattooed, wraped in their red
blankets with a kind of cap on their heads, & stuck in the top were from
one to a dozen long feathers of various colors, & by a word to their
ponies, for I seldom see them use a whip, they scamper away with the
speed of the wind.

[May 1--18th day] Teams crossing the river all the while, but there is
not half ferry boats enough here, great delay is the consequence,
besides the pushing, & crowdi