CAMPING ON THE PLAINS 89 



and, being confident that I was right, went on to 

 water, which I found at a little past two in the 

 morning. 



After sunup I tried to locate the source of 

 the fire that I had seen during the night. With 

 glasses I discovered the cook wagon of a cow 

 camp miles away in the north. I started across 

 the prairie toward it, planning to spend the 

 night there. 



On the way I stopped twice to watch prairie 

 dogs and to examine their "towns." In one 

 town a mob of its inhabitants was trying to kill a 

 rattler or to drive him out of the city limits. 

 He finally ran into a prairie-dog hole. Two or 

 three dogs, all excited, looked into the hole while 

 the others all together kept up a yapping and 

 yelping. I planned to return to the plains 

 sometime and have several days getting ac- 

 quainted with the life of these fat, brown little 

 people who live in towns on the prairie. 



The two cowboys who had called at my camp 

 were the first men I saw as I approached the 

 camp wagon. They asked if I was still running 

 a dry goods and hardware store. I laughed and 

 told them I thought to add a grocery depart- 

 ment. I bought supplies enough for several 

 days. I did not tell the cowboys that when I 

 left Buffalo Camp the whole prairie-dog village 

 was yapping at the pile of non-essential camp 



