46 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



My cousin and I both traded for moccasions, and it was 

 lucky we did as our shoes would not have lasted through 

 to the end of the journey. 



If you will examine a map of Wyoming, you will find 

 that a few miles west of Casper the Platte river makes a 

 big bend, coming at that point almost from the south, and 

 then turning abruptly to the east. Just as this elbow of 

 the river we camped for several days to hunt buffalo and 

 to cure the meat. Game had been scarce and wild all the 

 way so far. There were plenty of antelope, but that was 

 the only kind of large game excepting that there were 

 mountain sheep after we reached the rough country, but 

 we got no sheep, and very few antelope. Occasionally we 

 caught a catfish in the Platte, and also got a very few ducks, 

 chickens and rabbits. At this elbow of the Platte there were 

 some very high hills, their steep shelving sides streaked with 

 red. These were called the Red Buttes. Just at the foot 

 of these buttes there were some very large, cold springs 

 there was also plenty of good, cold water in the Platte, 

 which had now lost its muddy character and quick sand 

 bottom, and instead had clear water and a rock bottom. We 

 heard from other campers who had been hunting and curing 

 meat ,that buffalo were plenty just across the river only a 

 few miles from the camp. Next morning all the men who 

 could be spared and who wanted to go, started on a buffalo 

 hunt. Only a few had horses, nearly all going on foot. I 

 went alone from choice, and it is only what happened to 

 myself and Jolly, whom I came across later in the day, that 

 can here be related. I first went about a mile up the river 

 along the foot of Red Bluffs, stopping to examine several 

 big springs one of which, icy cold, flowed right out from 

 under the largest one of the Red Buttes, in a stream half 

 as large as Cedar creek at the crossing north of Oakdale. 

 Taking off all my clothing, packing it up in a bundle and 

 tying it on my shoulders, I waded the river, holding my 



