420 BUFFALO LAND. 



enterprise reached Harrisburg, with their rifles taken 

 apart and packed in a chest, and sent scouts into 

 Virginia and Maryland. It was the -middle of 

 winter, and deep snow covered the ground. They in- 

 tended, when passing among the mountains, to bear 

 the character of a hunting party. Every member of 

 that little band was willing to push on to Charles- 

 town, notwithstanding the whole State of Virginia 

 was on the alert, and pickets were thrown out as far 

 even as Hagerstown, Maryland. The plan was, by a 

 bold dash to capture the jail, and then, with the 

 rescued men, make rapidly for the seaboard. Al- 

 though the expedition failed, it gave the world a 

 glimpse of that heroic western spirit which was not 

 only willing to do battle upon its own soil, but con- 

 tent to turn back and meet Death half-way when 

 comrades were in danger. 



Gripe did not accompany the expedition. Yet he 

 grew so eloquent over the deep snow that stretched 

 drearily before the little band, the gloomy mountains 

 which frowned down defiance, and the people, far 

 more inhospitable than either, who stood behind the 

 natural barriers, filled to fanaticism with suspicion, 

 fear, and hate, that we were sorry he had not been 

 of the party. A man of such congressional qualifi- 

 cations as were his, might have been able to steal 

 even the prisoners. 



On other matters of Kansas history, Gripe could 

 speak from personal experience. He had twice en- 

 tered the territory during the period when the Free 

 State and pro-slavery forces were doing battle for it. 

 In one instance, the journey had been overland 



