IN THE OLD WEST 119 



though the ravenous animals are a constant source 

 of annoyance to him, creeping to the camp-fire 

 at night, and gnawing his saddles and apisha- 

 mores, eating the skin ropes which secure the horses 

 and mules to their pickets, and even their very 

 hobbles, and not unfrequently killing or entirely 

 disabling the animals themselves. 



Round the camp, during the night, the cayeute 

 keeps unremitting watch, and the traveler not un- 

 frequently starts from his bed with affright, as 

 the mournful and unearthly chiding of the wolf 

 breaks suddenly upon his. ear: the long-drawn 

 howl being taken up by others of the band, until 

 it dies away in the distance, or some straggler 

 passing within hearing answers to the note, and 

 howls as he lopes away. 



Our party crossed the south fork about ten 

 miles from its juncture with the main stream, and 

 then, passing the prairie, struck the north fork 

 a day's travel from the other. At the mouth of 

 an ash-timbered creek they came upon Indian 

 " sign," and as now they were in the vicinity of the 

 treacherous Sioux, they moved along with addi- 

 tional caution, Frapp and Gonneville, two expe- 

 rienced mountaineers, always heading the ad- 

 vance. 



About noon they had crossed over to the left 

 bank of the fork, intending to camp on a large 

 creek where some fresh beaver sign had attracted 

 the attention of some of the trappers ; and as, on 



