A SOLID BEAST. 89 



us took horses. With true British obstinacy he paid 

 no attention to our expostulations, and the creature 

 he obtained was as obstinate as himself. Poor 

 Muggs ! A mule may be good property in the hands 

 of a plainsman, but was never intended to carry a 

 Briton. 



Semi-Colon had the auction purchase, and Dobeen 

 selected a Mexican donkey, one of the toughest little 

 animals that ever pulled a bit. He could excel a 

 trained mule in the feat of dislodging his rider, and 

 had a remarkable penchant for running over persons 

 who by chance might be looking the other way. It 

 seemed to be his constant study to take unexpected 

 positions, or, as Sachem phrased it, to "strike an 

 attitude." 



My mount was a stout-built old mare, recommended 

 to me as a solid beast, on the strength of which, and 

 wishing to avoid experiments, I made purchase at 

 once. I found her solid indeed. When on the gallop 

 her feet came down with a shock which made my 

 head vibrate, as if I had accidentally taken two steps 

 instead of one, in descending a staircase. 



Could the good people of Topeka have gotten us 

 to ride out of their town upon our several animals, 

 it would have given them a fair idea of a mardi gras 

 cavalcade in 'New Orleans. 



And so, our camp equipage and live stock follow- 

 ing by freight, the express rolled us forward toward 

 the great plains. So far along our route we had seen 

 but few Indians, and those civilized specimens, such 

 as straggle occasionally through the streets of Topeka. 

 The Indian reservations in Kansas are at some dis- 



