24 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



slowly moved up the valley of the Platte, whose waters we 

 were to follow to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. Our 

 route was about a mile from the shore, which we were unable 

 to approach nearer on account of numerous " sloos," as the 

 " Pikers " call marshy creeks, which extended from the river. 

 The water we could not see for the many islands. Towards 

 night we j^assed a French trading post, whose owner had grown 

 rich trading with emigrants and Indians. Of course, the item 

 of whisky w^as the most attractive part of his stock. These 

 traders generally had one or more Indian wives, by which 

 means they ingratiated themselves with the noble red men. 



We camped six miles west of the Fort. The next morning 

 we broke corral early, as our wagon-master was anxious to 

 make up for lost time. I never saw birds in freedom as tame 

 as here. They would alight near us as we passed along, and 

 it was sport for the skilled " Pikers " to " pop " them with 

 their whips — the " crackers " being as fatal as bullets. But 

 we were soon to see larger game than birds. About 9 o'clock, 

 while leisurely trudging along, we w^ere startled by a shout 

 which ran from head to rear of the train : " A buffalo ! A buf- 

 falo ! " In the direction indicated, we saw a dark, moving ob- 

 ject, a mile off. The wagon-master and his assistant immedi- 

 ately started in pursuit ; while we, taking matters in our own 

 hands, stopped the train to enjoy the chase, trusting that the 

 outcome would be a change from our scurvy-producing 

 bacon to buffalo steak. Mounted on little mules, armed with 

 rifles, revolvers and knives, with their heels, which nearly 

 dragged the ground, bristling with huge rattling spurs, our 

 heroes looked like Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, starting out 

 on one of their windmill storming expeditions. The buffalo 

 took the alarm when they were in rifle-shot, and galloped 

 toward the sand hills as fast as his clumsy legs would carry 

 him, closely followed by his pursuers. These fired several 

 shots after him, but he only ran the faster; and, kicking up a 



