846 FALSE ACCOUTfTS. 



• At night, I encamped at tlie base of the mountains, upon the right hand 

 fork of Soublet's creek, and the next day reached the Fort. 



The last ten or twelve miles of the route (leading over an unbroken 

 prairie) were travelled during a heavy fall of snow, which rendered the air 

 60 dark it was impossible to see a dozen yards in advance. But what 

 added still moie to the uncertainty of my course was the frequent van% 

 ance of tlie wind, changing the position of the grass, and otherwise iii» 

 creasing the constant hability to misjudge. Notwithstanding these accu- 

 mulated difficulties, I struck the Platte river only half a mile below the in 

 tended point 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



Newspapers. — False reports.— Singular gi-asses.— Sale of skins at Fort Lancaster.— Ab 

 excursion. — An incident. — Camp. — Huge horns. — Leopard. — Panther. — Slaughter 

 of eagles. — Dressing skins. — The hunter's carap. — Vasques' creek. — The weather. — 

 Return of comrades to Fort. — Sweets of solitude. — Exposure m a snow-storm. — 

 The canon of S. Fork Platte. — A ridge. — A valley. — Beautiful locaUty. — Choice 

 site for a settlement. — Flowers in February. — A hunting incident. — Fate of the pre- 

 mature flowers. — Adventure with a sheep. — Discovered by hidians. — A pleasant 

 meeting. — Camp at Crystal creek. — Thoughts of home. — Resolve on going.— Com- 

 mence journey. — The caravan. — "Big Timber." — Country to the " Crossing."— 

 Big Salt Bottom. — Flowers. — A stranger of other lands. — Difficulty witli Indians. 

 — " Friday." — Tedious travelling. — No timber. — Detention. — Country. — Pawnee 

 Fork. — Mountain and Spanish companies. — Spy Buck, the Sawnee war chief. — 

 Pawnee Fork. — Cure for a rattlesnake's bite. — Further detention. — Sketch of ad- 

 jacent country. — Pawnee Rocks.— En route with Friday. — Musqui toes.— Observa- 

 tions. — Friday as a hunter. 



The different trading companies had just arrived from the States, bring- 

 ing their winter stock of goods, and, what was still more acceptable to me, 

 a bundle of newspapers. Every item of intelligence contained in the lat- 

 ter was greedily devoured, but what afforded me no little amusement was 

 the palpable falsity and ignorance their editors exhibited in relation to mat- 

 ters of this country. 



For instance, in giving the particulars of the murder of Charvis, a Mexi 

 can trader, which occurred in March, 1843, the crime was represented as 

 having been committed near the Little Arkansas, by a party of Texana 

 on their way to join Col. Wartieid, who was then encamped in that vicinity 

 vfith forty men ! whereas, at that time Col. Warfield had only nin£ men 

 witli him, and was at least three hmidred miles from the Little Arkansas 

 and further, the murderers of Charvis were not Texans ! 



Subsequently, an article in another paper came under my observation 

 referring to a statement made to the National Institute, by an officer of the 



