utiful table land, to rest
ourselves and give our horses an opportunity to graze. Little villages
of prairie dogs were scattered here and there, and we killed
half-a-dozen of them for our evening meal. The fat of these animals, I
have forgotten to say, is asserted to be an infallible remedy for the
rheumatism.

In the evening, we again started, and encamped, an hour after sun-down,
upon the banks of a clear running stream. We had, during the last part
of our journey, discovered the tops of three or four high mountains in
the distance; we knew them to be "The Crows," by the description of them
given to us by the Wakoes.

Early the next morning we were awakened by the warbling of innumerable
singing birds, perched among the bushes along the borders of the stream.
Pleasing as was the concert, we were obliged to leave it behind and
pursue our weary march. Throughout the day we had an excellent road,
and when night same, we had travelled about thirty-five miles. The
mountains, the summits of which we had perceived the evening before,
were now plainly visible, and answered to the descriptions of the
Wakoes, as those in the neighbourhood of the narrows of the Red River.

We now considered that we were near the end of our journey. That night
we swallowed a very scanty supper, laid down to sleep, and dreamed of
beaver tail and buffalo hump and tongues. The next day, at noon, we
crossed the bed of a stream, which was evidently a large river during
the rainy season. At that time but little water was found in it, and
that so salt, it was impossible even for our horses to drink it.

Towards night, we came to the banks of a clear stream, the waters of
which were bubbling along, over a bed of golden sand, running nearly
north and south, while, at a distance of some six miles, and to our
left, was the chain of hills I have previously mentioned; rising above
the rest, were three peaks, which really deserved the name of mountains.
We crossed the stream and encamped on the other side. Scarcely had we
unsaddled our horses, when we perceived coming towards us a large party
of savages, whose war paint, with the bleeding scalps hanging to their
belts, plainly showed the errand from which they were returning; they
encamped on the other side of the stream, within quarter of a mile from
us.

That night we passed watching, shivering, and fasting, for we dared not
light a fire in the immediate vicinity of our neighbours, whom we coul