RETURN TO FORT RILEY, 303 



On the morning of the 14th of October orders for the 

 countermarch* were issued. We breakfasted at daybreak, 

 and thus ruled the line of duty for the day ; Major Mar 

 tin having expressed a desire for another Buffalo robe, 

 Bayard determined to take two of his men on mules, 

 and to proceed to where he had left the carcase of his 

 bull killed on the previous day. Major Martin, with my 

 ambulance, myself, and one of the Fort Riley waggons, 

 were to await at our camping-place the return of Bayard, 

 and the other waggon in company with my baggage- 

 waggon, with Mr Canterall on my pony, were to pro 

 ceed on the line of march, and to halt at the creek at 

 which we had encamped as we came out. Bayard was 

 confident that he should be able to rejoin us, robe and 

 all, by nine o'clock ; but> as must often happen on that 

 boundless extent of markless land, he was a very long 

 time in finding the spot he sought, and when he found 

 his bison, and the men had skinned it, on putting the 

 raw hide on the mule, the mule was so terrified that he 

 broke away and fled over the desert. Some time elapsed 

 before the ^ mule could be recaptured, and the day be 

 came so far advanced that we were suspicious of in 

 terruption by Indians, and I had it in contemplation 

 to go out in search of Mr Bayard's portion of our expe 

 dition. 



While we were waiting the return of Bayard, I took 

 Brutus and my double shot gun to look for game in 

 the vicinity of the camping ground, but met with none, 

 a prairie hawk being the only bird I killed. On return 

 ing Major Martin informed me that from the line of 

 march taken by the waggons and Mr Canterall, he had 

 distinctly counted twenty shots, and that he had not the 

 slightest doubt but that fellow Mr Canterall had sighted 



