At any rate we concluded that it was
bones or sticks of wood; we thought perhaps it might be the bones of some
animal which had fallen in there and died. These bones, for such they
really proved to be, we pushed one side and then we lay down. But
Charley, being an inveterate smoker, could not resist the temptation of
indulging in a smoke before going to sleep. So he sat up and struck a
match to light his old pipe. Our subterranean bed-chamber was thus
illuminated for a moment or two; I sprang to my feet in an instant for a
ghastly and horrifying sight was revealed to us. Eight or ten human
skeletons lay scattered upon the ground.

The light of the match died out, but we had seen enough to convince us
that we were in a large grave, into which, perhaps, some unfortunate
emigrants, who had been killed by the Indians, had been thrown; or,
perhaps, seeking refuge there, they had been corraled and then killed on
the spot. If such was the case, they had met the fate of thousands of
others, whose friends have never heard of them since they left their
eastern homes to seek their fortunes in the Far West. However, we did not
care to investigate this mystery any further, but we hustled out of that
chamber of death and informed Scott of our discovery. Most of the
plains-men are very superstitious, and we were no exception to the
general rule. We surely thought that this incident was an evil omen, and
that we would be killed if we remained there any longer.

[Illustration: CAMPING IN A SEPULCHRE.]

"Let us dig out of here quicker than we can say Jack Robinson," said
Scott; and we began to "dig out" at once. We saddled our animals and
hurriedly pushed forward through the darkness, traveling several miles
before we again went into camp. Next morning it was snowing fiercely,
but we proceeded as best we could, and that night we succeeded in
reaching Oak Grove ranch, which had been built during the summer. We
here obtained comfortable accommodations and plenty to eat and
drink--especially the latter.

Scott and Charley were great lovers and consumers of "tanglefoot," and
they soon got gloriously drunk, keeping it up for three days, during
which time they gambled with the ranchmen, who got away with all their
money; but little they cared for that, as they had their spree. They
finally sobered up, and we resumed our journey, urging our jaded animals
as much as they could stand, until we struck Marysville, on the Big Blue.
From this pla