38 



AUDUBON 



had been suffocated to death by some dozens of bundles 

 of Buffalo robes falling on it, while attached to a ladder, 

 and had been thrown out and eaten by the Wolves or the 

 dogs. This evening, quite late, I shot a fine large Gray 

 Wolf. I sincerely hope to see some Antelopes to-mor- 

 row, as well as other animals. 



June 18, Sunday. This day has been a beautiful, as 

 well as a prosperous one to us. At daylight Provost and 

 Alexis went off hunting across the river. Immediately 

 after an early breakfast, Mr. Murray and three Mackinaw 

 boats started for St. Louis. After the boats were fairly 

 out of sight, and the six-pounders had been twice fired, 

 and the great flag floated in the stiff southwesterly breeze, 

 four other hunters went off over the river, and Squires 

 was one of them. I took a walk with Mr. Culbertson and 

 Mr. Chardon, to look at some old, decaying, and simply 

 constructed coflfins, placed on trees about ten feet above 

 ground, for the purpose of finding out in what manner, 

 and when it would be best for us to take away the skulls, 

 some six or seven in number, all Assiniboin Indians. It 

 was decided that we would do so at dusk, or nearly at 

 dark. My two companions assured me that they never 

 had walked so far from the fort unarmed as on this occa- 

 sion, and said that even a single Indian with a gun and a 

 bow might have attacked us; but if several were together, 

 they would pay no attention to us, as that might be con- 

 strued to mean war. This is a good lesson, however, and 

 one I shall not forget. About ten o'clock Alexis came 

 to me and said that he had killed two male Antelopes, 

 and Provost one Deer, and that he must have a cart to 

 bring the whole in. This was arranged in a few minutes; 

 and Harris and I went across the river on a ferry flat, tak- 

 ing with us a cart and a most excellent mule. Alexis' 

 wife went across also to gather gooseberries. The cart 

 being made ready, we mounted it, I sitting down, and 

 Harris standing up. We took an old abandoned road, 



