24 EI.DORADO 



wagons inside the circle until morning, when they 

 were again put out to graze. 



After two days travel from the Missouri river we 

 reached the Elkhorn, at that time a wide, turhulent 

 stream overflowing its hanks, occasioned by the heavy 

 spring rains. Our only means of crossing was to 

 stretch a rope from hank to bank and use our wagon 

 beds for boats to transport our efifects. This means 

 of crossing streams we had anticipated from the start, 

 and had our wagon beds made water tight, with the 

 necessary amount of rope for all emergencies. We 

 camped on the east bank of the stream and received a 

 friendly visit from some of our Pawnee brothers and 

 sisters, who were being "civilized" and "Christian- 

 ized" at a near-by mission. They were in their native 

 costume of red blankets, buckskin breeches and moc- 

 casins, and spoke but little English. We distributed 

 some presents among them, for which they seemed 

 much pleased. They had not yet learned to swear as 

 a friendly salutation at meeting and parting, as had 

 the natives further up on the Platte, who had caught 

 it from the ox and mule drivers. With a friendly 

 shake of the hand it would be, "Whoa, haw, G — d — 

 you; haw, gee." 



After our breakfast that morning, which as usual 

 consisted of coffee, pancakes and bacon, we had our 

 first experience in crossing a large stream relying on 

 our own resources. Our train consisted of twenty 

 wagons, with an average of three men and the same 

 number of horses to each wagon. A young man. one 

 of our best swimmers, was detailed to take a small 

 cord in his teeth made fast to a strong rope and swim 

 to the opposite side. Fortunately either bank at that 



