156 SWARM OF GRASSHOPPERS. 



I reached Lake Sibley the following morning, having 

 camped for the night on the river, and found the settlers very 

 much depressed at the arrival of a swarm of grasshoppers, 

 which were destroying their crops and against which they 

 could do nothing. Even while I was there, I saw a perceptible 

 difference in a field of corn, which was simply swarming with 

 them, and some of the neighbouring fields had lost every leaf. 

 All the men I spoke to had made up their minds to leave at 

 once, having no supplies for the winter, meaning to work for 

 wages for some months and make a fresh start in the spring. 



The people here had been so often attacked by Indians 

 during the summer, that my saying I had seen two on my way 

 in caused a considerable stir, as the people assured me that it 

 meant another raid on the settlement, the two Indians being 

 probably scouts, sent in front of a larger body. 



I was three days doing the distance between Sibley and 

 St. Joe, where I arrived safely, and found letters waiting for 

 me. The supplies I needed were soon procured, and it only 

 remained to sell my horse and buy another. I luckily soon 

 found a customer for mine, a gambler who bought him to race, 

 as I had said so much of his wonderful bottom ; but getting a 

 good pony for myself was difficult. A great number were 

 brought for me to look at, but most of them were stable raised 

 and of no use. At last I heard of one some miles from the 

 town, and on going to see him, as I liked his appearance, I 

 bought him. 



Having executed all my commissions, I was ready to start on 

 the third day after my arrival, and on the morning of the day 

 on which I intended to take the steamer for Nebraska city, a 

 fine-looking man came to see me and wished me to engage him 



