ElvDORADO 29 



truth of this, thoug'h horses sometimes show remark- 

 al)lc intelligence. As an illustration I relate the fol- 

 lowing: Later on, when traveling down the Hum- 

 boldt, my only remaining pony was stolen by the In- 

 dians when I became separated from my company. 

 After I had searched and waited a day the horse 

 either broke loose or stole away from the Indians and 

 returned to me, after I had abandoned the search. I 

 was alone at the time in a most desolate region, and 

 her appearance and show of afifection was like that of 

 meeting a near and tried friend. She seemed as glad 

 to return as I was to welcome her. 



But to return to the crossing of the Platte. After 

 wading and swimming, avoiding the quicksands as 

 much as possible, when I got within about 100 yards 

 of the opposite side, I found the most difficult and 

 dangerous portion to cross, and was undecided for a 

 time whether to attempt it or return. A large volume 

 of water had cut a deep, wide channel that extended to 

 a high, precipitous bank. I decided not to return with- 

 out accomplishing my object, and swam to the bank, 

 but was carried some distance down the stream and 

 found the bank very difficult to ascend. The water 

 was deep and the current rapid as it cut into the yield- 

 ing earth. A man who had noticed my crossing came 

 to my relief, and after getting the information that I 

 desired I returned to camp, chilled and weary. The 

 wife of the man who came to my aid had just died 

 from the cholera, and he was left to pursue his jour- 

 ney bereft of the society of his loving wife. We 

 witnessed many sad scenes upon our route, man}- dy- 

 ing on both lines of travel. Some, discouraged by the 

 loss of father, mother or children, would turn and 



