il was abandoned, and the troops
kept on down Powder river to its confluence with the Yellowstone, and
remained there several days. Here we met General Mills, who reported that
no Indians had as yet crossed the Yellowstone. Several steamboats soon
arrived with a large quantity of supplies, and once more the "Boys in
Blue" were made happy.

CHAPTER XXXI.

DANGEROUS WORK.

One evening while we were in camp on the Yellowstone at the mouth of
Powder river, I was informed that the commanding officers had selected
Louis Richard, a half breed, and myself to accompany General Mills on a
scouting expedition on the steamer Far West, down the Yellowstone as far
as Glendive Creek. We were to ride on the pilot house and keep a sharp
lookout on both sides of the river for Indian trails that might have
crossed the stream. The idea of scouting on a steamboat was indeed a
novel one to me, and I anticipated a pleasant trip.

At daylight next morning we reported on board the steamer to General
Mills, who had with him four or five companies of his regiment. We were
somewhat surprised when he asked us where our horses were, as we had not
supposed that horses would be needed if the scouting was to be done on
the steamer. He said we might need them before we got back, and thereupon
we had the animals brought on board. In a few minutes we were booming
down the river, at the rate of about twenty miles an hour.

The steamer Far West was commanded by Captain Grant Marsh, whom I found
to be a "brick." I had often heard of him, for he was and is yet one of
the best known river captains in the country. He it was who, with his
steamer the Far West, transported the wounded men from the battle of the
Little Big Horn to Fort Abraham Lincoln on the Missouri river, and on
that trip he made the fastest steamboat time on record. He was a skillful
and experienced pilot, handling his boat with remarkable dexterity.

While Richard and myself were at our stations on the pilot house, the
steamer with a full head of steam went flying past islands, around bends,
over sand bars, at a rate that was exhilarating. Presently I thought I
could see horses grazing in a distant bend of the river and I reported
the fact to General Mills, who asked Captain Marsh if he could land the
boat near a large tree which he pointed out to him.

[Illustration: SCOUTING ON A STEAMBOAT.]

"Yes, sir; I can land her there, and make her climb the tree if
necessary," said he