TO THE LAND OF THE BUFFALO. 21 



trace was visible of the resting place of the poor fellow, even 

 the rude headboard, on which was his name, being displaced. 

 On the 20th we came to Marysville, on the Big Blue. Here 

 was a mission and reservation of the Otto Indians. While 

 descending the bluff one of our oxen died ; but the noble red 

 men, when apprised, soon had him skinned, cut up and carried 

 to their village. These Indians shaved their heads and were 

 otherwise as near naked as they could well be. Still, the 

 weather was warm. 



The valley of the Big Blue was swarming with mosquitoes, 

 and that night while herding cattle we were badly pestered 

 with. them. They bit through our clothing and sang merrily 

 at their work. We wrapped ourselves from head to heels in 

 our blankets to fence them off, though the air was oppressively 

 sultry, but in spite of that they bit us so we were covered 

 with a rash the next morning. To their shrill tenor a band 

 of wolves on the adjacent bluffs howled a blood-curdling 

 baritone. The howl of one wolf is enough, but when a band 

 of this species get down to their work, it is more than that. 

 They commence with a shrill whine, which increases and 

 deepens until it ends in an unearthly yell which you feel in 

 your bones. 



We crossed the Blue on a rope ferry, swimming all the oxen 

 except what we wanted to pull the wagons on to the boat. My 

 friend Finlay and I were sent to herd cattle on the other side 

 of the river, where we were kept till night with nothing to eat. 

 When we were relieved, we had to swim the river to our 

 wagons which were not ferried over. The river was swollen, 

 so that we landed far below in the darkness. The next morn- 

 ing we found our shoes stolen as well as some of our clothing, 

 which we had left on the other side. 



After crossing the rest of the wagons, the guards were re- 

 arranged, and our rifles and a few rounds of ammunition given 

 us, as we were getting among hostile Indians. There were 



