CHAPTER IV. 



A Desert Plain— Preparation for a 'Water-Scrape' — Accident to 

 a French Doctoc — -UpseUing of a "Wagon and its Consequences 

 --A Party of Sioui Warriors — The first real Alarm — Confa- 

 sion in the Camp — Friendly Demonstrations of ihe Indians — 

 The Pipe of Peace— Squaws and Papooses — An Extemporary 

 Village — Lose our Track — Search after the Lost Bircr — Hor- 

 rible prospective — The Cimarron Found at last — A IN'ight of 

 Alarms — Indian Serenade and Thieving — Indian Diplomacy — 

 Hail-stones and Hurricanes — Position of the Captain of a Cara- 

 van — His Troubles, his Powers and Want of Powers — More 

 Indians — ^Hostile Encounter — Results of the Skirmish— The 

 ' Battle-Grooad' — Col. Vi2carra and the Gros Ventres. 



Our route had already led as up the course 

 of the Arkansas river for over a hundred miles, 

 yet the earlier caravans often passed from fifty 

 to a himdred further up before crossing the 



ford 



nver 



therefore nothina: like a regular 



had ever been estabhshed. Nor was there 



road 



a 



anywhere across the 



famous plain, extending between the Arkan 

 sas and Cimarron rivers, a distance of over 

 fifty miles, which now lay before us — the scene 

 of such frequent suifering-s in former times for 

 want of water. It having been determined 

 upon, however, to strike across tliis dreaded 

 desert the following morning, the whole party 

 was busy in preparing for the * water scrape,' 



