KATDRE or THE COUNTRY. 



him he lied, and even accuse him of being a Texan spy — threatening to try 

 and execute him as such ! 



Were this ever the reward of treason, how few would be traitors I 



CHAPTER XXX. 



March down the Cimarone. — Jiinctiim of the two divisions. — Country between toa 

 de las Aninias and the Cimarone. — Perilous descent. — Canon of the Cimarone. — 

 Soil and prevailing rock. — A fort. — Grandeur and sublimity of scenery. — Beauty of 

 rocks. — Cimarone of the plain. — Fruits and game. — Wide-spread desolation. — ^A 

 dreary country. — Summer on the Desert.- -Remarks. — Encounter with Indians. — 

 Nature's nobleman. — Wild hon;es and different modes of catching them. — Failure of 

 expected reinforcements. — March into the enemy's country. — Ancient engravmga 

 upon a, rock. — Boy in the wolf's den. — A man lo.st.— Forced march. — Torment of 

 thirst. — Remarks. — The lost found. — Expulsion for cowardice,— its effect. 



Soon after the incident related at the close of the preceding chapter, an 

 express arrived from the Col. commandant, witli dispatclics ordering our 

 division to join Iiim at a small creek near tlie Pilot Bultcs, or •' Rabbit 

 Ears," two noted landmarks situated some forty miles above the Santa Fe 

 trail, and nearly equidistant between the Arkansas and Cimaiono. 



We accordingly took up our line of marcii and, proceeded nearly due 

 south for two clays and a half, to the Cimarone ; thence, dcwn the valley of 

 the latter, five days' travel to the Santa Fe trail, and thence, west-north- 

 west, one day and a half to the place of rendezvous, which we found with- 

 out difficulty after a journey of one hundred and seventy miles. 



Between the de las Animas and Cimarone, we crossed a long reach of 

 arid prairie, slightly undulating and generally barren, witli the exception 

 of small fertile spots among the hills, here and there, clotlied with rank 

 grasses. 



-In some parts, the cadi so completely covered the ground that it was 

 impossible to step, tor miles in succession, without treading upon tjieir 

 sharp thorns ; in otliers, the thick clusters of ahsin/he monopolized the vi- 

 cinity of creeks, nearly to the exclusion of all dissimilar vegetation ; and 

 yet in others, though of more brief space, naked sterility refused foot t 

 aught save gTavel and stifi'clay, or saline efflorescences. 



The water of most of the streams was so highly impregnated with min^ 

 ral salts, it was often unfit to drink. The creeks afforded very little timber, 

 and frequently none at all. 



The section immediately at the base of the high table lands to the right, 

 exposed some beautiful spreads of fertile. prairie, well watered and suitably 

 timbered. The soU, as a whole, presented all the prominent characlei> 

 •sties of hke portions of country previously described. 



The prevailing rock was limestone and sandstone, with various conglo 

 merates, and extensive beds of gypsum. I noticed some very large spect- 



