EARLY DAY STORIES. 31 



from the wagons most of the time there were only two 

 or three riding horses in the outfit, and one could not go 

 far away on foot and rejoin the train by camping time even 

 though it were safe. So we passed through the country 

 that is, for the first two hundred miles without seeing it, 

 and formed our opinions of the country from what we saw 

 of the Platte valley, which did not produce, on the whole, 

 a favorable impression. From reading books of travel and 

 exploration, and from talking with others, we had gotten 

 unfavorable opinions of the country and we held to them. 

 The mosquitos and green head flies did not bother us much 

 at first, as it was too early in the season, but they got bad 

 later on wherever there was wet land with tall grass. Later 

 in the season the buffalo gnats became troublesome. These 

 buffalo gnats were very bad also here in Antelope county 

 for several years after its first settlement, but they have 

 probably entirely disappeared. I think they are never found 

 in a thickly settled farming country. They attack the eyes, 

 ears and nose, and will fly right into one's mouth if he opens 

 it. They are especially bad about attacking horses on the 

 breast and under the lower jaw. The mosquitos left us 

 entirely after we entered the dry, rolling country approach- 

 ing the mountains. 



As we neared the crossing of Shell creek, close to 

 where Schuyler now stands, Mr. Knapp, who had been 

 riding ahead, came back and reported that there was a large 

 number of Indians at Shell creek crossing. Orders were 

 given by Capt. Wells to halt the train, and all the men were 

 commanded to get their arms ready for instant use. The 

 women and children, many of whom had been walking, 

 were ordered into the wagons, which command was really 

 not necessary, for they were very willing to get under cover, 

 and the train was commanded to move in close order with 

 guards on either side. We were in the Pawnee country, 

 and the Pawnees at that time did not have a good reputa- 



