102 ORDER OF MARCH 'FORMING. 



sented a very fine and imposing spectacle to 

 those who were upon its summit The 

 wagons marched slowly in four parallel col- 

 umns, but in broken hues, often at intervals of 

 many rods between. The unceasing ' crack, 

 crack,' of the wagoners' whips, resembhng the 

 frequent reports of distant guns, almost made 

 one beUeve that a skirmish was actually tak- 

 ing place between two hostile parties : and a 

 hostde engagement it vhiually was to the pool 

 brutes, at least ; for the merciless application 

 of tlie wliip would sometimes make the blood 

 spirt from their sides— and that often Avith- 

 out any apparent motive of the wanton carrct- 

 tien, other than \o amuse themselves with the 

 flourishing and loud popping of their lashes 



The rear wagons are usually left without a 

 guard ; for all the loose horsemen inchne to 

 be ahead, where they are to be seen mo^dng in 

 scattered groups, sometimes a mile or more in 



I 



advance. As our camp was pitched but u nxx.v. 

 west of the Round Mound, those who lingered 

 npon Its summit could have an interesting 

 view of the evolutions of ♦ forming' the wag- 

 ons, m which the drivers by this time had be- 

 come very expert. \YhQn marching four 

 abreast, the two exterior hues spread out and 

 then meet at the front angle ; while the two 

 mner hues keep close together until they 

 reach the point of the rear angle, when they 

 wiieel suddenly out and close with the hinder 

 ends of tlie other two ; thus systematically 

 concludmg a right-Uned quadran-le, with a 

 gap lett at the rear corner for the'introduction 

 ol the animals. 



