104 IN THE OLD WEST 



being driven towards the camp — the wo-lia of 

 the teamsters sounding far and near, as they col- 

 lected the scattered beasts in order to yoke up. 



As most of the mountain-men were utterly un- 

 able to move from camp, Luke and La Bonte, with 

 three or four of the most sober, started in com- 

 pany, intending to wait on Blue, a stream which 

 runs into the Caw or Kanzas River, until the " bal- 

 ance " of the band came up. Mounting their 

 mules, and leading the loose animals, they struck 

 at once into the park-like prairie, and were speed- 

 ily out of sight of civilization. 



It was the latter end of May, towards the close 

 of the season of heavy rains, which in early spring 

 render the climate of this country almost intoler- 

 able, at the same time that they fertilize and thaw 

 the soil, so long bound up by the winter's frosts. 

 The grass was everywhere luxuriantly green, and 

 gaudy flowers dotted the surface of the prairie. 

 This term, however, should hardly be applied to 

 the beautiful undulating scenery of this park-like 

 country. Unlike the flat monotony of the Grand 

 Plains, here well-wooded uplands, clothed with 

 forest-trees of every species, and picturesque 

 dells, through which run clear bubbling streams 

 belted with gay-blossomed shrubs, everywhere 

 present themselves ; whilst on the level meadow- 

 land, topes of trees with spreading foliage afford 

 a shelter to the game and cattle, and well-tim- 

 bered knolls rise at intervals from the plain. 



