FRESH SETTLERS AT WHITE ROCK. 129 



out to be a tenth lot of settlers, who had come to reoccupy the 

 houses on the creek. We camped near them, and had a long 

 talk with them that night, giving them our experience of the 

 place, and saying that we hoped they meant to remain longer 

 than their predecessors. On this they were very indignant, 

 asking us if they looked like the sort of men who would run 

 away ; and they certainly did not, if that went for anything, 

 which, however, was not our experience. They were putting 

 up a large block-house on the Republican River, just opposite 

 to the mouth of the creek, to which they said they should 

 retreat if hard pressed, not with any idea of running away after- 

 wards, but to make a good stand and give the Indians a lesson. 

 They also said that they hoped we would fall back on them 

 if attacked. We bought some milk and eggs from them and 

 crossed the river, promising to let them know if we found 

 Indians up the creek. There were about thirty men in the 

 party, beside women and children, and they looked as if they 

 ought to give a pretty good account of a hundred Indians ; but 

 in this case appearances proved to be deceptive. 



We found the houses on the creek much as we had left them 

 the previous year, excepting that the buffalo had broken down 

 many of the fences to get at the corn, which they must have 

 enjoyed immensely. Game seemed to be more plentiful than 

 ever, buffalo being everywhere, and we saw plenty of fresh sign 

 of elk and deer. 



I did not go in so much for running buffalo, as I had killed 



so many in that way, but F , who was new to it, had some 



capital runs. The new horses were a decided failure, for 

 having been trained to run short distances, three and four 

 hundred yards, at top speed, we could not break them of it; so 



K 



