90 



AUDUBON 



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the foot of the hills opposite. We saw one Grouse, but it 

 could not be started, though Harris searched for it. VVe 

 ran the wagon into a rut, but got out unhurt; however, I 

 decided to walk for a while, and did so for about two 

 miles, to the turning point of the hills. The wheels of our 

 vehicle were very shackling, and had to be somewhat 

 repaired, and though I expected they would fall to pieces, in 

 some manner or other we proceeded on. We saw several 

 Antelopes, some on the prairie which we now travelled on, 

 and many more on the tops of the hills, bounding west- 

 ward. We stopped to water the horses at a saline spring, 

 where I saw that Buffaloes, Antelopes, and other animals 

 come to allay their thirst, and repose on the grassy margin. 

 The water was too hot for us to drink, and we awaited the 

 arrival of the cart, when we all took a good drink of the 

 river water we had brought with us. After waiting for 

 nearly an hour to allow the horses to bait and cool them- 

 selves, for it was very warm, we proceeded on, until we 

 came to another watering-place, a river, in fact, which 

 during spring overflows its banks, but now has only pools 

 of water here and there. We soaked our wheels again, 

 and again drank ourselves. Squires, Provost, and Owen 

 had left sometime before us, but were not out of our sight, 

 when we started, and as we had been, and were yet, travel- 

 ling a good track, we soon caught up with them. We shot 

 a common Red-winged Starling, and heard the notes 

 of what was supposed to be a new bird by my com- 

 panions, but which to my ears was nothing more than the 

 Short-billed Marsh Wren of Nuttall. We reached our 

 camping-place, say perhaps twenty miles' distance, by four 

 o'clock, and all things were unloaded, the horses put to 

 grass, and two or three of the party went in "the point" 

 above, to shoot something for supper. I was hungry my- 

 self, and taking the Red-wing and the fishing-line, I went to 

 the river close by, and had the good fortune to catch four fine 

 catfish, when, my bait giving out, I was obliged to desist. 



