who must attend to the packing, rattled past us with 
their long tent poles. Anon they would stop to rear- 
range the pack, to gather herbs and roots, or to quiet * 
the babies. The position of the latter can hardly be 
called very pleasant. The Indian women carry their 
nurslings in a case of buffalo hide consisting of a long 
leather piece with a projection below as foot rest. On 
this back piece the youngster is laid flat. In front is 
an arched piece of leather fastened to both sides of 
the back of the case, enclosing the whole body from 
the neck to the feet. Only the uncovered head is 
free, protruding from this little box. The sight in- 
evitably calls to mind the figure of Egyptian mum- 
mies. In walking, this little papoose case with its 
contents is thrown over the back and held with a 
strap over the forehead or chest of the mother. But 
in riding it is bound to one side of the saddle, and 
the little head nods in time to the trot or gallop of 
the horse. As soon as the child can sit alone, it is 
freed from its prison house and is fastened to the 
horse, wrapped in buffalo hide. The first thing for 
which it learns to grasp is the bridle or the whip. So 
it is no wonder that the Indians are all born riders and 
that the squaws have usually a better seat a-horseback 
than white men. The direction we took to cross the 
mountains was at first southwest, and afterwards 
northwest. ‘The chain in front of us, which we have 
to cross, is much lower than the Wind River Moun- 
tains. No more snow peaks tower out of it; only 
patches of snow can be seen here and there, which 
The Crossing 
= the 
“ye 
The ee 
