EARLY DAY STORIES. 41 



camping time in the evening. After having been admon- 

 ished over and over again, not to lose sight of the train, 

 to be careful and not get lost or run into danger, and not 

 to be out after dark, we started northwest, and for three 

 or four miles could see not only our own train but two or 

 three others also; crawling along at a snail's gait by the 

 side of Wood river which could be traced by its line of 

 bushes and small trees. The prairie over which we traveled 

 was fine, thickly covered with grass just high enough to 

 wave nicely in the wind, prominent among which was the 

 wild blue stem, although I did not then know the names 

 of any of the wild prairie grasses ; and there were also the 

 spider lillies in great abundance, and other wild spring flow- 

 ers common to our Nebraska prairies. The day was fine and 

 I was happy. There were antelope in sight nearly all the 

 time, but they were shy and cunning, and knew just how 

 near to approach, and just when to raise the long white 

 hairs on the rump, which they do when alarmed, and bound 

 away as if they had steel springs in their feet. We had 

 heard about flagging antelope, and we tried it. We tied 

 a red handkerchief on a ram rod, and lay flat down raising 

 and waving the flag, and tried it over and over again the 

 antelope would come up within about forty rods, stop and 

 gaze, run off, circle around and come up on the other side, 

 then bound away again. It was of no use there was no 

 chance to get antelope steak for supper. We gave it up. 

 Just north of us a short distance was a little gentle swell 

 in the prairie we reached the top, looked over to a little 

 valley through which meandered a prairie brook, lined here 

 and there with a few large handsome elm trees, and there, 

 feeding not more than a half mile away were two buffalo. 

 We were surprised, not to say astonished, for we had been 

 told that there were no buffalo anywhere near the trail at 

 that point or at that season of the year. We were now al- 

 most sure of buffalo steak for breakfast next morning. It 



