Crossing the Great Plains 41 



sky until it was no longer visible, pouring 

 out its joyous song as it went. Long after 

 it had been lost sight of, one could still hear 

 the wonderful rhapsody, clear as crystal, 

 and as persistent as the sound of a fountain, 

 pouring down through the clear morning 

 air. Even in Illinois, before they crossed 

 the Mississippi, and came into the domain 

 of the buffalo, evidences of the great herds 

 could be discovered, for there was still oc- 

 casionally to be found the plain outlines 

 of a buffalo-wallow that the plough had 

 skipped, or the slight traces of some old 

 bison trail through parts of the prairie that 

 had been latest claimed by the plough. 

 But in the main all signs of the King of the 

 Plains had disappeared east of the Missis- 

 sippi River. 



It must not be imagined, however, that 

 the sights and sounds of the prairies were 

 all that claimed the attention of the two 

 Anderson boys on this remarkable trip. 



