ELDORADO 23 



thieves came near getting away with two of our best 

 horses during a very dark night, but the guard, having 

 awakened from sleep, discharged his revolver, which 

 caused the thieves to disappear in the darkness. 



Wc encountered many driving storms and swollen 

 streams. ^Vs there were no bridges we sometimes had 

 to construct our own. 



After arriving- at Council Bluffs — then a military 

 post on the east bank of the Missouri — and going into 

 camp on the river bottom, we were joined by other 

 companies of overland emigrants from Illinois and 

 Wisconsin, and organized a company for mutual 

 protection while passing through the various Indian 

 tribes. We were to be known under the name of "Wild 

 Rovers," with J. H. Hardy of Wisconsin as captain. 

 A schedule of by-laws was adopted and signed by each 

 member of the company. The manner of leaving camp 

 in the morning and corralling and standing guard 

 every night was provided for and ever after adhered 

 to, until the company was compelled to break up into 

 smaller bands on account of shortness of feed for 

 stock. 



The Indians would sometimes attempt to stampede 

 our horses when picketed out at night by shaking 

 buffalo robes as near as safety to themselves would 

 permit, and in one or two instances succeeded, but, 

 fortunately, after considerable delay, the stock was all 

 recovered. Whenever there was an appearance of 

 danger the train was corralled in the form of a circle, 

 or semi-circle, and fires for cooking were made inside, 

 while a strong guard was placed with the horses until 

 a certain hour in the night, then they were tied to the 



