22 ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



to do, for we were very ambitious for them. Doubting our 

 ability to do this in the overcrowded East, for their sakes I 

 resolved to take my chances of fortune in the wild, unbroken 

 country of the West. I had counted the cost of hardship 

 and danger, of death, but was undaunted. Stories of gold 

 fields in the Black Hills reached my ears, and I determined 

 to depart thither. When my intention became known, I was 

 overwhelmed with all kinds of advice, admonition and warn- 

 ing, and as the days passed the excitement became more in- 

 tense. But my hopes were strong and I was a healthy man, 

 accustomed to a hard life. 



On the 1 2th day of March, 1877, I set out for the Black 

 Hills. At Zanesville I met Alexandrer Mitten and Thomas 

 Sipe, of Sarahsville, Ohio, who were also bound for my des- 

 tination. We joined company and journeyed to Sidney, Ne- 

 braska. As we arrived at this frontier town, the rain was 

 falling in torrents and the Black Hills stage came in with a 

 dead driver in the boot, shot by the Sioux Indians. While 

 this circumstance did not enhance the cheerfulness of the 

 situation, neither did it deter us from proceeding. 



On the following morning we contracted with three 

 men,, who were driving teams to the hills, to take us as pas- 

 sengers. Our baggage, consisting of seamless sacks, was 

 brought forward and weighed, and we soon struck a bargain 

 for the transportation. As soon as our train had pulled out, 

 we saw a band of Pawnee Indians, and Mitten predicted 

 that our "hair would be raised" before we reached the hills. 

 After we had travelled about ten miles, we were informed 

 that the teams were exhausted and that we would be obliged 

 to walk the balance of the day or return to Sidney. In the 

 trail of teams better fitted than ours, we walked through rain 

 and mud, and snow, not only that day, but all of the succeed- 

 ing days until we reached the hills. 



