74 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



Crossing Vermilion, the trappers arrived on the 

 fifth day at " Blue," where they encamped in the broad 

 timber belting the creek, and there awaited the arrival 

 of the remainder of the party. 



It was two days before they came up ; but the 

 following day they started for the mountains, fourteen 

 in number, striking a trail which follows the "Big 

 Blue," in its course through the prairies, which, as they 

 advanced to the westward, gradually smoothed away 

 into a vast unbroken expanse of rolling plain. Herds 

 of antelope began to show themselves, and some of the 

 hunters, leaving the trail, soon returned with plenty of 

 their tender meat. The luxuriant but coarse grass they 

 had hitherto seen now changed into the nutritious and 

 curly buffalo grass, and their animals soon improved in 

 appearance on the excellent pasture. In a few days, 

 without any adventure, they struck the Platte River, 

 its shallow waters (from which it derives its name) 

 spreading over a wide and sandy bed, numerous sand 

 bars obstructing the sluggish current, nowhere sum- 

 ciently deep to wet the forder's knee. 



By this time, but few antelope having been seen, the 

 party ran entirely out of meat ; and one whole day 

 and part of another having passed without so much as 

 a stray rabbit presenting itself, not a few objurgations 

 on the buffalo grumbled from the lips of the hunters, 

 who expected ere this to have reached the land of 

 plenty. La Bonte killed a fine deer, however, in the 

 river bottom, after they had encamped, not one particle 

 of which remained after supper that night, but which 



