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Show 32 THROUGH THE BLACK HILLS. mountaineers who are familiar with the country. Why it is designated Medicine Bow I have not learned. The flowers of the Prairie were here quite different in variety from those before observed, but not the less beauti ful. The cactus which is found almost everywhere on the plains and mountains, assumes a different form with the changes in the character of the soil in which it grows. In stead of the flat oblong leaf with which we had previously met the oval shaped prickly- pear was to be found abundant: here j and at this season their crimson and yellow blossoms; were just opening in all their freshness and beauty. For richness of color I think they were unsurpassed by any flowers that I had ever seen. How enjoyable to a class in> botany would be a summer's trip over the plains of Ne braska and Colorado ! Reaching the Black Hills probably so called from the black appearance the growth of cedar on them presents, we encamped for the night in the mouth of a beautiful canon,, the former site of a military post known as Fort Walbach. Canon pronounced kanyon, is a Spanish word, meaning a valley or a pass in the mountains, and is universally used throughout the far West. I think I never heard a fron tiersman use the word valley. I remember an anecdote told of the old mountaineer, James Bridger ; how he made rather an odd use of his frontier nomenclature. He is said to have visited St. Louis, and stopped at the Planters'" House. After registering his name he looked out, and ob served a crowd of people passing down Third Street as is usual during business hours, and turning to the clerk inquired, " what in was going on down the Canon to attract so many people." Our camping ground at Fort Walbach was a very pic turesque one and appeared the more beautiful after marching through a country of so much sameness of scenery, and of so different a character. On either side of us were the smooth but somewhat abrupt slopes of immense hills, and the valley between, thickly covered with tall grass, was watered by a clear mountain stream running through it |