FAREWELL TO THE PLAINS. 425 



few days longer upon the Solomon, for the purpose 

 of studying the surrounding country. Shamus had 

 asked a discharge, in order to engage as farm hand 

 for Mr. Sydney — an Irish Jacob taking to agriculture 

 as a means of obtaining his Rachel. We received 

 numerous invitations to divide our party for the 

 night among the settlers, and, glad to enjoy again 

 the luxury of a roof, Sachem and I gratefully ac- 

 cepted the hospitabilities of a neighboring log-cabin 

 among the trees. 



The next day was busily occupied in separating 

 from our loads such things as the Professor and Sha- 

 mus required*for their further sojourn in the Solomon 

 valley. The morning following, we bade them both 

 good-bye, and have seen neither leader or servant 

 since. With but one mishap, the remainder of our 

 ■psiYtv reached safely the more familiar haunts of 

 civilization. Doctor Pythagoras was the victim of 

 our exceptional misfortune. While attempting to 

 mount his transformed prize-fighter, the meta- 

 morphosed bully struck out from the shoulder, and 

 the doctor was floored. We found it necessary to 

 carry him upon a rude stretcher to Solomon City, 

 and provide him w^ith a section on a sleeping car for 

 transit to the East. As we shook his hand at part- 

 ing, and bade him a last good-bye, he exclaimed, 

 "My young friends, I can not die yet. I shall re- 

 cover and outlive you all. I believe in the theory of 

 the ' survival of the fittest.' " 



Ever since our return, the tide of emigration, pour- 

 ing onward from the Atlantic, has lapped further 

 and further out upon the surface of the plains ; and 



