18 ON THE FRONTIEE. 



and the less any one of our informants Lad known, the 

 more positive he had been in his statements. We deter- 

 mined to have all our preparations finished by sunset of 

 the next day, and the following daybreak should see our 

 start for the Republican. If we found no signs of buffalo 

 there, we would turn south-west and try the Salinas. We 

 were in for it, and, Indians or no Indians, we would see it 

 through. We were like the miner, who, as he started his 

 shaft down, declared it was a case of "gold, China, or 

 bust." 



We had the feet of our mules attended to by the 

 Government blacksmith, the shoes taken off our horses 

 and replaced by "running plates ; " a further supply laid in 

 of bacon and flour, beans and coffee, sugar and salt, grain 

 for our hunters, and whisky for ourselves ; and, at the 

 appointed time, bid adieu to the Big Blue and the last 

 settlement. 



