TEN DAYS IN MONTANA. 133 



men for mounting. 1 killed several, t/uc although the force 

 of the ball did knock them across the hole, they invariably 

 fell back into it, and I could not get them. I then tried shoot- 

 ing into the dirt just under them, thinking that I might be able 

 to thus kill, or at least paralyze them by the concussion, and 

 perhaps throw them away from the hole ; but though I could 

 throw them up a foot or more into the air, they invariably 

 tumbled back into their hole, so I gave up the task and re- 

 turned to camp. On the way back I found some very fine 

 specimens of petrified wood, of which there are great quanti- 

 ties all through this region of country. 



Mr. Bellows had arranged to go over the line of the road 

 from Houston to the Yellowstone, and pay off his men who 

 were engaged in grading, bridge building, etc. After com- 

 pleting this duty we were to leave the line at the most favor- 

 able point, and strike the buffalo with as little delay as possi- 

 ble. He accordingly provided teams at Houston to take us 

 through. They consisted of two buck boards and a light 

 platform-wagon. On these were loaded our tent, blankets, 

 provisions, guns, ammunition, and other equipments necessary 

 for the expedition, and besides comfortable seats were pro- 

 vided for all the party to ride on them. Three extra ponies 

 were led for use when we should reach the buffalo country. 

 In addition to this complete arid comfortable outfit, General 

 Merrill sent with us an escort of five men and a non-com- 

 missioned officer, as a safeguard against roving bands of hostile 

 Indians, with whom we were liable to meet at any point along 

 the line. 



Our expedition left Houston at eight o'clock A.M. of the 

 1 9th, and after driving five miles we entered the famous 

 " bad lands," through which the Little Missouri river flows. 

 An accurate description of these bad lands such an one 

 as will present to the eye of the reader a fair picture of 



