ons, who, out of a well-grounded
fear of the other emigrants, had postponed leaving the settlements until
all the rest were gone. On account of this delay they did not reach Fort
Laramie until it was too late to continue their journey to California.
Hearing that there was good land at the head of the Arkansas, they
crossed over under the guidance of Richard, and were now preparing to
spend the winter at a spot about half a mile from the Pueblo.

When we took leave of Richard, it was near sunset. Passing out of the
gate, we could look down the little valley of the Arkansas; a beautiful
scene, and doubly so to our eyes, so long accustomed to deserts and
mountains. Tall woods lined the river, with green meadows on either
hand; and high bluffs, quietly basking in the sunlight, flanked the
narrow valley. A Mexican on horseback was driving a herd of cattle
toward the gate, and our little white tent, which the men had pitched
under a large tree in the meadow, made a very pleasing feature in the
scene. When we reached it, we found that Richard had sent a Mexican to
bring us an abundant supply of green corn and vegetables, and invite
us to help ourselves to whatever we wished from the fields around the
Pueblo.

The inhabitants were in daily apprehensions of an inroad from more
formidable consumers than ourselves. Every year at the time when the
corn begins to ripen, the Arapahoes, to the number of several thousands,
come and encamp around the Pueblo. The handful of white men, who are
entirely at the mercy of this swarm of barbarians, choose to make a
merit of necessity; they come forward very cordially, shake them by the
hand, and intimate that the harvest is entirely at their disposal. The
Arapahoes take them at their word, help themselves most liberally, and
usually turn their horses into the cornfields afterward. They have the
foresight, however, to leave enough of the crops untouched to serve as
an inducement for planting the fields again for their benefit in the
next spring.

The human race in this part of the world is separated into three
divisions, arranged in the order of their merits; white men, Indians,
and Mexicans; to the latter of whom the honorable title of "whites" is
by no means conceded.

In spite of the warm sunset of that evening the next morning was a
dreary and cheerless one. It rained steadily, clouds resting upon the
very treetops. We crossed the river to visit the Mormon settlement. As
we passed thro