Journey up 
the North 
Fork—The 
Prairie Dog 
Fort 
Laramie 
— 64— 
left, and enjoyed a picturesque landscape. All about 
were rocks piled up by Nature in merry mood, giving 
full scope to fancy in the variety of their shapes. 
Some were perfect cones; others flat round tops; 
others, owing to their crenulated projections, resem- 
bled fortresses; others old castles, porticos, etc. Most 
of them were sparsely covered with pine and cedar. 
The scenery has obvious resemblance to several places 
in Saxon Switzerland. 
At noon we halted in a little valley where rocks 
from either side confronted each other at a distance of 
half a mile. A fresh spring meanders through the 
valley. We encamped on the hill from which the 
spring flows. The place had something romantic 
about it. All around grew pine and cedars, wild roses, 
gooseberries and currants; from the top of the hill 
one enjoyed a wide prospect. On the one side the 
Chimney and the whole chain of rocks we had passed 
showed themselves; on the other side, fresh hills. 
Before us lay the Platte. The magnificent surround- 
ings, the clear sky and fresh antelope meat put us all 
in good humor. But increasing sultriness reminded 
us soon that we had not yet received our daily allow- 
ance of thunder showers. We traveled twelve miles 
in the rain that afternoon, and camped by the stream, 
at whose spring we had our noon rest. It was so 
swollen by the rains that we had to postpone crossing 
till the next day. The next morning we crossed it, as 
well as Horse Creek, only a few hundred steps fur- 
ther on, and then turned, over a long uninteresting 
