LIFE SKETCHES OF A JAYHAWKER 11 



had only to repeat this several times when the Indians would back away, 

 walk off, and in a few moments start into a trot until they were out of sight. 

 They thought, of course, that the man was an evil spirit, but I have often 

 wondered just what they did think. 



Along the Platte River we found the corpses of Indians, well wrapped 

 in bark and tied to the limbs of trees with bark. This was the custom of 

 the Pawnees, but after we got further on the plains there were no trees, 

 in fact no trees for five hundred miles. So we had no fuel, and had to use 

 the buffalo chips, which, if dry, made a very hot fire. Just before camping 

 time we each of us took a sack, scattered out and came back to camp with 

 sacks full, having a generous supply for cooking our supper and breakfast. 

 But if the rain came on, our much prized chips would not burn at all, and 

 we had to be content with hard tack and raw bacon, and no hot coffee for 

 breakfast. 



It was well nigh impossible to measure distance by the eye, objects 

 that appeared close to, would often prove to be days travel away. A party 

 of us started for Chimney Rock, and as it seemed a short distance away 

 we started early in the morning. We walked fast until after noon, and then 

 seemed no nearer, so we held a council and came to the conclusion to retrace 

 our steps, arriving at camp tired and hungry. There being no settlements 

 and no smoke the atmosphere was as clear as could be. I think we sighted 

 Pikes Peak, over two hundred miles away, and it seemed as if we should 

 never pass it. 



On the Black Hills we came into the Crow Indian country, but we never 

 saw one. They were not friendly to the whites, and when an Indian is not 

 friendly you never see them in their own country. We came to the Show- 

 shu-nees Tribe, or Snake, as they were sometimes called, but they disliked 

 the name. Snake. They were friendly to us. At one time my chum and I 

 slipped away, and visited their camp and they treated us royally. The 

 chief's wife talked good English, and we were shown all through the camp, 

 there being over five hundred in number. They had many pets, both birds 

 and beasts. We were invited to go with them on a buffalo hunt, and I 

 should have enjoyed it, but all my possessions were with the train, so we 

 remained only the day. But this was long enough to worry the older men 

 of the party, especially the father of my chum, and all thought we had been 

 murdered by the Indians. 



About four to six weeks later, as I was walking in the streets of Salt 

 Lake City, I heard a horse galloping behind me, and here was the same In- 

 dian Chief, and he appeared to be tickled to see me, as a boy with his first 

 toy. His wife on her pony appeared equally glad. She had been educated 

 at some mission, and so had acquired English. 



All up the Platte River, and well into the Black Hills, we had many 

 thunder storms; the lightning seemed to strike all around us, and sometimes 

 very near. On one occasion we came to a team of four yoke of oxen, 

 hitched to a wagon in regular order, and every one dead, having been struck 

 by lightning. This must have been a terrible misfortune to the owners. 



There were all kinds of disagreements and quarrels over trivial mat- 

 ters, and the only way of settling the difficulty would be to make a division 

 of property. The wagou would be cut in two, one party taking the front 

 and the other the hind part, dividing the team and provisions, and each 



