NO. 10 NEBRASKA ARCHEOLOGY — STRONG 213 



burs, and various small cactus plants give a rather southwestern ap- 

 pearance to the landscape. Both branches of the river flow through 

 deep and narrow gorges which are marked by scattered bunches of 

 bushy red cedars rare or lacking in the open country to the south. 

 In the river canyon itself these trees reach considerable size, and old 

 stumps 2 feet in diameter were noted on the south branch just above 

 the forks. The narrow river bottom is thickly wooded with willow 

 and cedar, and the water, although sandy, is cool and pleasant. In fact 

 the river itself deserves a more cheerful name, for it is a refreshing 

 and attractive oasis in a dismal country. Below the forks it is only 

 about 30 feet wide and perhaps 2 feet deep with a fairly rapid cur- 

 rent. It flows throughout the year and offers to man and beast the in- 

 evitable lure of fresh running water in an arid country. A mule deer 

 was seen by members of the party, and birds and small mammals 

 were abundant in the brushy areas. A large raccoon caught by the 

 expedition's dog in a small gully furnished additional excitement. 

 I have said that the country, first seen in a drizzling rain, was dismal, 

 but this is only half true. The irregular contour of the sand hills, the 

 rare cedar trees, and the wide vistas of unoccupied country have an 

 allure of their own. It is still Indian country, though the natives have 

 long been gone. One remembers the Dismal River and the sand hills 

 with a thrill of pleasure, and plans to return. 



We camped for two nights at the forks and spent a day in examining 

 the region and in visiting two of the sites located by Mr. Hill. Be- 

 tween the north and south branches is a long ridge or hogback of con- 

 siderable height. Deeply worn trails lead up the east end and the 

 south side, and although these may be worn down by cattle, they sug- 

 gest old Indian trails. A few tiny potsherds, numerous flint chips, 

 and one beautifully chipped arrowpoint (type NBbi) were picked 

 up on the east end of this ridge. There are no signs of any fortifica- 

 tions here, but a number of large blowholes some 30 feet or more deep 

 and very wide offer splendid hiding places, and the ridge itself offers 

 a wide view over both valleys. A few artifacts were found in the 

 sandy areas along the south bank, but no concentration areas nor 

 any occupation strata were noted, in spite of thorough searching. 



One site (fig. i, site 23) known to Mr. Hill is on the south bank 

 6 miles below the forks. This was not visited by our party. It is a 

 large blown-out area of bare sand retaining evidences of old fires and 

 originally marked by a considerable amount of broken pottery, arti- 

 facts, and chips, Mr. Hill reports that only the coarse, hole-tempered 

 pottery is found at this site. Like the other two sites here, it has 

 been rather thoroughly picked over by relic hunters from the nearest 



