ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 27 



CHAPTER 11. 



Departure of the caravan — A storm on the prairie — Arrangement of the camp — 

 The cook''s desertion — Kanzas Indians — Kanzas river — Indian lodges — 

 Passage of the river — Buffalo canoes — Kanzas chief — Costume of the In- 

 dians — Upper Kaw village — their wigwams — Catfish and ravens — Iteturn 

 of JUr. Sublette — Pawnee trace — Desertion of three men — Difficulties occa- 

 sioned by losing the trail — Intelligence of J\ir. Sublette's party — Escape of 

 the band of horses — Visit of three Otto Indians —Anecdote of Richardson, the 

 chief hunter — his appearance and character — Tf'hite wolves and antelopes — 

 Buffalo bones — Sublette^s deserted cainp — Lurking wolves. 



On the 28th of April, at 10 'o'clock in the morning, our 

 caravan, consisting of seventy men, and two hundred and fifty 

 horses, began its march ; Captain Wyeth and Milton Sublette 

 took the lead, Mr. N. and myself rode beside them ; then the 

 men in double file, each leading, with a line, two horses heavily 

 laden, and Captain Thing (Captain W.'s assistant) brought up 

 the rear. The band of missionaries, with their horned cattle, 

 rode along the flanks. 



I frequently sallied out from my station to look at and admire 

 the appearance of the cavalcade, and as we rode out from the 

 encampment, our horses prancing, and neighing, and pawing 

 the ground, it was altogether so exciting that I could scarcely 

 contain myself. Every man in the company seemed to feel a 

 portion of the same kind of enthusiasm ; uproarious bursts of 

 merriment, and gay and lively songs, were constantly echoing 

 along the line. We were certainly a most merry and happy 

 company. What cared we for the future 1 We had reason to 

 expect that ere long difficulties and dangers, in various shapes, 



