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Show THROUGH THE BLACK HILLS. 35 from which I had this extended view. The road to the base of the hill ( but I must now call it a mountain) looked to be about a mile long, but an hour's ride did not take me beyond the slope. When upon this plain I could not re cognize it as the one I had seen from the eminence, for instead of its proving to be level, as it appeared, I found an undulating surface like the rolling prairies of Kansas on a smaller scale. Reaching the river where we were to encamp, after a long and weary ride I lay upon the grass still reviewing the mountain scenery and watching the little silvery clouds as sume fantastic shapes upon the clear blue sky, and wonder ing, admiring and worshipping I fell asleep upon my grassy couch. Immediately after going into camp, we were visited by a small war party of the Sioux Indians, who were anything but belligerently inclined when they saw the number of men we had. A war party may be known by the absence of squaws, and of lodges, and by all the men being mounted. True to the Indian character, our visitors became beggars, but did not succeed in getting any rations or anything else, and soon left rather disgusted with their reception. Fear ing that they would be still further true to the Indian char acter, an extra guard was placed over the mules that nighty but they made no attempt to steal, and probably left the vicinity at once. The next morning the soldiers indulged in an early cold bath in fording the Big Laramie which was high from the melting snow in the mountains, and the water waist deep j but the men had become accustomed to such performances and waded in as cheerfully as if taking a morning bath at Cape May in the month of August. But to me the sight of others in such cold water on such a cold morning was almost a shock to my nervous system ! Our wagon- master, who had been over this country several times before, had raised my expectations in regard to hunting. When travelling along the Platte River anal Lodge Pole Creek, looking in vain for a bird to shdot, he |
