appeared riding slowly down the side
of a distant hill; his horse was tired and jaded, and when he threw
his saddle upon the ground, I observed that the tails of two bulls were
dangling behind it. No sooner were the horses turned loose to feed than
Henry, asking Munroe to go with him, took his rifle and walked quietly
away. Shaw, Tete Rouge, and I sat down by the side of the cart to
discuss the dinner which Delorier placed before us; we had scarcely
finished when we saw Munroe walking toward us along the river bank.
Henry, he said, had killed four fat cows, and had sent him back for
horses to bring in the meat. Shaw took a horse for himself and another
for Henry, and he and Munroe left the camp together. After a short
absence all three of them came back, their horses loaded with the
choicest parts of the meat; we kept two of the cows for ourselves and
gave the others to Munroe and his companions. Delorier seated himself
on the grass before the pile of meat, and worked industriously for
some time to cut it into thin broad sheets for drying. This is no easy
matter, but Delorier had all the skill of an Indian squaw. Long before
night cords of raw hide were stretched around the camp, and the meat was
hung upon them to dry in the sunshine and pure air of the prairie.
Our California companions were less successful at the work; but they
accomplished it after their own fashion, and their side of the camp was
soon garnished in the same manner as our own.

We meant to remain at this place long enough to prepare provisions for
our journey to the frontier, which as we supposed might occupy about a
month. Had the distance been twice as great and the party ten times as
large, the unerring rifle of Henry Chatillon would have supplied
meat enough for the whole within two days; we were obliged to remain,
however, until it should be dry enough for transportation; so we erected
our tent and made the other arrangements for a permanent camp. The
California men, who had no such shelter, contented themselves with
arranging their packs on the grass around their fire. In the meantime we
had nothing to do but amuse ourselves. Our tent was within a rod of the
river, if the broad sand-beds, with a scanty stream of water coursing
here and there along their surface, deserve to be dignified with the
name of river. The vast flat plains on either side were almost on a
level with the sand-beds, and they were bounded in the distance by low,
monotonous hi