THE CITY OF CHEYENNE 17 



looked as bad as the others. There was no more sleep 

 for us that night ; and for days after, when going 

 through a tunnel or a snow-shed, some one would 

 start that same yell, and a general laugh would ensue. 

 Long before we reached Cheyenne, we could see the 

 snow-clad peaks of the Rocky Mountains bristling in 

 the clear morning sunlight. Cheyenne is a city, or 

 collection of unpainted sheds and shanties, with a 

 scattering of hotels, banks, stores, and the like, to give 

 it a dignified look. It is situated in the treeless plain, 

 and has a cold, barren, and uninviting look, compared 

 to our Eastern cities. Whiskey and tobacco seem to 

 be the principal exports, and imports too, for that mat- 

 ter; and saloons and places where people may waste 

 their time and money are by no means rare. Three of 

 the boys put their money together to buy a large demi- 

 john of liquor for their use on the journey, putting it 

 under one of the seats. One day, while they were all 

 busy playing cards and reading, the jug was stolen by 

 one of the brakemen on the train : they asked every 

 one who came in if he had seen it, and at last they 

 fixed upon a stout, thick-set brakeman as the guilty 

 one. He made little talk, but soon gave them to un- 

 derstand that if any one wanted to say he took it, he 

 had better stand up and have it out. That set their 

 minds at rest in that direction ; but they soon collected 

 more money, and sent one of their number for another 

 jug at the next place. Whether he missed the train, 



