284 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



Silently, and with sad hearts, the survivors of the 

 family saw the bodies of the two boys buried on the 

 river bank, and the spot marked with a pile of loose 

 stones, procured from the rocky bed of the creek. The 

 carcasses of the treacherous Indians were left to be 

 devoured by wolves, and their bones to bleach in the 

 sun and wind a warning to their tribe, that such foul 

 treachery as they had meditated had met with a 

 merited retribution. 



The next day the party continued their course to the 

 Platte. Antoine and the stranger returned to the 

 Arkansa, starting in the night to avoid the Indians; 

 but Killbuck and La Bonte lent the aid of their rifles 

 to the solitary caravan, and, under their experienced 

 guidance, no more Indian perils were encountered. 

 Mary no longer sat perched up in her father's Conos- 

 toga, but rode a quiet mustang by La Bont^'s side ; and 

 no doubt they found a theme with which to while away 

 the monotonous journey over the dreary plains. South 

 Fork was passed, and Laramie was reached. The 

 Sweet Water mountains, which hang over the "pass" 

 to California, were long since in sight ; but when the 

 waters of the North Fork of Platte lay before their 

 horses' feet, and the broad trail was pointed out which 

 led to the great valley of Columbia and their promised 

 land, the heads of the oxen were turned down the stream 

 where the shallow waters flow on to join the great Mis- 

 souri and not up, towards the mountains where they 

 leave their spring-heads, from which springs flow several 

 waters some coursing their way to the eastward, ferti- 



