14:: In the United States v 



does not consist of that unbroken roll away to 

 the horizon which is tlie characteristic of tlie 

 prairies to the soutli and the east. From some 

 cause or another the glacier mud here has been 

 tossed and tumbled about into wild sandy, or 

 rather loamy, hills, which extend for an indefinite 

 number o{ miles on each side of us. The valley, 

 some six or seven miles broad, which we have just 

 left, has evidently been worked out by tlie river, 

 and almost as soon as we quitted tlie banks of 

 the latter we began to ascend, and tlie sand hills 

 shut us out from all but the highest peaks beyond, 

 through whose ravines the setting sun is now 

 pouring his last rays in glorious long, yellow bars. 

 We ride on merrily to reach our first camping 

 ground before nightfall. A dip in the ground 

 brings us to it. two or three small pools of bright 

 water with their surfaces still dimpled by the 

 flutter of that little skein o\ wild ducks who go 

 whistling away, in all alarm, at the unwonted sight 

 of strauijers ; a tinv stream cur\-ing and winding 

 through the long grass ; a few scattered, bleached 

 buffalo skulls ; and the black scars oi a previous 

 fire or two. The military- proceed to camp militar)- 

 wise, and there is a hammering of tent pegs, and 

 a squealing and a snorting of mules. As the fires 

 are being lighted, I take up my scattergun and 

 wander away upwards — carefully marking every 

 point with care, for it is horribly easy to get lost 

 on the prairie — in the hope oi getting a willow 



