ELDORADO • 31 



Hungry, thirsty and tired, he reacehd the Platte bot- 

 tom as darkness was coming on, with no camp or train 

 in sight. He saw, however, at no great distance a clus- 

 ter of Indian tepees or wigwams. He approached and 

 made known his wants by signs. The chief Indian 

 motioned for his rifle, which was handed to him, and 

 after discharging it left it still in his possession. The 

 boy's wants were supplied with the best they had to 

 give. After a good night's rest, with a buffalo robe 

 for his bed, his rifle was returned to him and he was 

 permitted to go, grateful for favors received. In good 

 time he overtook the train, none the worse for his ex- 

 perience. 



For the most part, the landscape for 600 or 700 miles 

 on the main Platte was very monotonous, the valley 

 proper varying in width from one to two miles. As 

 we ascended to the higher regions near the base of the 

 Rocky Mountain range many curious and fantastic for- 

 mations were seen. Among the most picturesque and 

 unique were Castle and Chimney rocks, a few miles 

 from the line of travel below Laramie. One resem- 

 bled an immense castle, with its walls and towering 

 domes, and the other a column of an immense height, 

 round and perfect as though built by human hands. 



Acres of fallen, petrified forest, seen before reach- 

 ing the Black Hills, formed a most interesting and cu- 

 rious sight, the broken trunks lying thick upon the 

 ground, from one to two feet in diameter, solid as 

 granite and of various lengths. They presented a re- 

 markable feature of nature. 



One of the grandest sights and one not soon to be 

 forgotten, was presented as the lofty, snowy ran.<re of 

 the Wind River mountains, lying north of the Stnith 



