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Show 198 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. ing through their midst; and as we pressed through the yielding branches, deer sprang up to the right and left. At length we caught a glimpse of the prairie beyond. Soon we emerged upon it, and saw, not a plain covered with encamp. ments and swarming with life, but a vast unbroken desert stretching away before us league upon league, without a bush or a tree, or any thing that had life. We drew rein and gave to the winds our sentiments concerning the whole aboriginal race of America. Our journey was in vain, and much worse than in vain. For myself, I was vexed and disappointed beyond measure; as I well knew that a slight aggravation of my dis. order would render this false step irrevocable, and make it quite impossible to accomplish effectually the design which had led me an arduous journey of between three and four thousand miles. To fortify myself as well as I could a aainst such a 0 contingency, I resolved that I would not under any circum-stances attempt to leave the country until my object was completely gained. And where were the Indians 1 They were assembled in great numbers at a spot about twenty miles distant, and there at that very moment they were en oa aged in their warlike cere mo- ( J nies. The scarcity of buffalo in the vicinity of La Bonte's camp, which would r~nder their supply of provisions scanty and precarious, had probably prevented them from assembling there ; but of all this we knew nothing until some weeks after. Shaw lashed his horse and galloped forward. I, though much more vexed than he, was not strong enough to adopt this convenient vent to m t; 1' I . Y ee mgs ; so followed at a qmet pace, but in no quiet mood. We rode up to a solitary old tree, which seemed the only place fit for encampment. Half its branches ILL-LUCK. 199 were dead, and the rest were so scantily furnished with leaves that they cast but a meagre and wretched shade, and the old twisted trunk alone furnished sufficient protection from the sun. we threw down our saddles in the strip of shadow that it cast, and sat down upon them. In silent indignation we remained smoking for an hour or more, shifting our saddles with the shifting shadow, for the sun was intolerably hot. |