38 ELDORADO 



Our stay of two days at the hospitable quarters at 

 Fort Laramie had broken the monotony of our journey 

 and somewhat improved the condition of our animals, 

 which were worn down by long continued travel on 

 sandy roads, and the growing scarcity of the grass, 

 which formed their entire sustenance. Immediately 

 upon entering the Black Hills we found a better supply 

 of fuel, consisting of scrubby pine and sage brush. The 

 country for 150 miles from Fort Laramie to Willow 

 Springs was broken by ridges and narrow valleys. 

 Here water could be obtained only at long intervals. 

 The north fork of the Platte was not visible 

 from our route for that entire distance. The 

 third day out, a young man and I were riding 

 on horseback a mile or two in advance of the 

 train, and after passing over a dividing ridge 

 we came suddenly upon a party of about a dozen 

 Cheyenne Indians returning from a hunt, all mounted 

 upon ponies. They were armed mainly with bows and 

 arrows, having only two or three guns. They quickly 

 gathered around and halted us. After a short confer- 

 ence among themselves they inquired by signs our des- 

 tination. We laughingly told them as well as we could 

 in their sign language that we were looking for Indians 

 and wanted to settle in their country, and also at the 

 same time that we belonged to a train of wagons not 

 far in our rear. This they no doubt believed, as we had 

 no guns, only our revolvers. After a further confab 

 among themselves, whether hostile or friendly to us 

 we could not understand, one Indian galloped his pony 

 to the top of the ridge over which we had just passed 

 apparently to verify our statement. Fortunately our 

 wagons were no great distance away, and when he re- 



