BACK TO THE BUFFALO RANGE 



dog, Found, to a wheel of the wagon, to prevent 

 him from following his master. 



Our commander, old Tom, had given orders for 

 an early start next morning, and before daylight 

 his call, *'Turn out, men!" routed us out of our 

 blankets. Tom got breakfast, while Jack and I 

 fed the team and then groomed and harnessed 

 them while they ate. 



We intended to feed them well on grain as long 

 as we were in the settlements, where it was plenty 

 and cheap; but after getting beyond Council 

 Grove there would be no more settlements, and 

 consequently no grain to be bought along the 

 road, and, as the grain we were hauling would 

 be needed later to carry our animals through the 

 cold of winter, they would have to depend on the 

 grass after leaving the settlements. 



Daylight was upon us when we had finished 

 eating, and, all hands turning to, the dishes were 

 soon washed and packed away, the wagon loaded, 

 the team hitched up, the fire put out, and we were 

 ofF. 



Our team was fat, frisky, and well rested, and 

 walked away with its load with ease; but, fol- 

 lowing our soldier training in starting out for a 

 long trip, we made short, easy drives for the first 

 few days, gradually increasing them till we reached 

 the maximum — about twenty-five miles a day. 



Shortly after leaving Leavenworth we met our 

 old friends the bull-whackers, with whom we had 



37 



