58 prairie scenery. 



deed, and approached us from the opposite di- 

 rection, they might easily have taken posses- 

 sion of the wagons. Before they had all re- 

 turned, however, a couple of hunters came in 

 and laughed very heartily at the expense of 

 the first alarmist, whom they had just chased 

 into the camp. 



Half a day's drive after leaving this camp 

 of ' false alarms' brought us to the valley of 

 Arkansas river. This point is ahout 270 miles 

 from Independence. From the adjacent 

 heights the landscape presents an imposing 

 and picturesque appearance. Beneath a ledge 

 of wave-like yellow sandy ridges and hillocks 

 spreading far beyond, descends the majestic 

 river (averaging at least a quarter of a mile in 

 width), bespeckled with verdant islets, thickly 

 set with Cottonwood timber. The banks are 

 very low and barren, vrith the exception of an 

 occasional grove of stunted trees, hiding be- 

 hind a swamp or sand-hUl, placed there as it 

 were to protect it from the fire of the prairies, 

 which in most parts keeps down every peren- 

 nial gTo^\^h. In many places, indeed, where 

 there are no islands, the river is so entirely bare 

 of trees, that the unthmking traveller might 



pecting its presence 



very brink, without 



Thus far, many of the prairies have a fine 

 and productive appearance, tliough the Neo- 

 ^o river (or Council Grove) seems to form 

 tiie western boundary of the truly rich and 

 beautiful country of the border. Up to that 

 pomt the prahies are similar to those of Mis- 



