310 HUNTING SPORTS OP THE WEST. 



I 



Preparations were made for moving ; S. had been already 

 to White river and made his purchase. When about to 

 start, we found that two more oxen were necessary : we 

 had four, but the load was too heavy with such soft boggy 

 roads. So we rode into the woods, and drove a couple of 

 wild bulls into the inclosure, threw nooses over their horns, 

 and fastened them to trees. They made tremendous ef- 

 forts to free themselves, jerking the leather thongs with 

 all their force ; and when they found all their struggles 

 were in vain, they threw themselves on the ground and 

 bellowed with rage. Thus they remained all the day and 

 night, during which we gave them nothing but a little 

 water to quench their thirst. About nine o'clock next 

 morning they were yoked each with a steady old hand ; 

 the whips cracked, voices shouted, and partly from the 

 shower of blows that fell on them, partly dragged along 

 by their stout companions, after four or five hours' use- 

 less opposition, they went as well as if they had done no- 

 thing all their lives but draw a cart. 



The heavy wagon made slow progress along the muddy 

 tracts, softened by the autumnal rains. We arrived at 

 White river on the morning of the 4th of November, and 

 had to wait on the bank till evening, as it was blowing a 

 storm, and it would have been dangerous to trust the 

 heavy wagon to the ferry-boat in such weather. 



White river is beyond all dispute the most beautiful 

 river of Arkansas. Its clear waves form a striking con- 

 trast to those of the Mississippi and Red rivers ; only to- 

 wards its mouth the banks are low, and the land swampy ; 

 higher up it is enclosed by picturesque hills. It rises in 

 the Ozark mountains, in the northwest angle of the State, 



