402 Ex. Doc. No, 41. 



tt 



let the wolves 



approach -without showing the least repugnance, although the 



wolves devour the young calves and attack the cows at certain 



periods when they are least able to defend themselves. This species 



of wolf does not congregate in large packs like the prairie wolf, 

 but roams solitary. 



This evening five Pawnee Indians came into our camp. They 

 "^ere on foot, naked, and had their faces painted. As our party- 

 was very small, and we knew from the behavior of these fellows 

 that there were plenty of Indians near us, we changed our posi- 

 tion for one more defensible. All our horses were picketed close 

 to the campj the cabrestoes were shortened; wagons and tents ar- 

 ranged, so as to form a compact ring; the arms examined and the 

 guard doubled; the whole camp was in a state of watchfulness, 

 momentarily expecting an attack. I lay for. the greater part of « 

 the night by the side of a wagon, with my rifle across the tongue, 

 constantly expecting to see some redskins crawling amongst our 

 horses; but the night was undisturbed, save with the howling of 

 wolves and the bellovi^ing of buffalo. 



Saturday J 18th — This morning, as soon as it was lio-ht,we saw a 

 large band of buffalo, not more than 300 yards from° us, walking 

 slowly to the ponds close by; they were to the west of us, and as 

 the wind did not blow towards them they paid but little regard to 

 our proximity. ' 



Some of the patriarchs of the band were on the lead; they were 

 all moving with slow and measured tread, as if attending a funeral. 

 Now and then some of them would cast a sinister glance towards 

 us, but still continued to move on with the same slow pace. I 

 got my spy-glass in order to examine them with great minuteness, 

 and thence commenced making sketches. Soon there was a gene- 

 ral commotion amongst the buffalo; they raised their tails, tossed 

 their heads into the air; now and then the bulls would dash at each 

 other, when suddenly the whole band separated into small dense 

 groups that scampered ofl' to the four winds of heaven. We instinc- 

 tively grasped our guns, not kliowing whether friend or foe might 

 appear, and soon saw a number of horsemen urging their jaded 

 steeds under the pricky spur. At every touch the impatient riders 

 gave, the tails of the wearied horses were thrown into the air, and 

 the slow gait at which they moved showed that they had been riding 

 fast and far. They were pursuing a buffalo of immense size, ap- 

 parently wounded; the buffalo now turned, but his intended victim 

 shyed, and as the horsemen passed by, we saw the smoke of seve- 

 ral shots burst forth; the horsemen now turned, and ere long the 

 buffalo lay extended upon the ground. We saw Jhem all dismount, 

 and in a ittle while alter Captam Karsons rode into our camp. We 

 inquired the position of the main body, which we were anxious to 

 rejom, for ourselves were suffering from the harrassinjr night wc 

 had passed and our horses were suffering from our beinff necessi- 

 tated to picket them so closely for fe.r of Indians- and both our- 

 selves and our horses daily suffered from want of water As we were 

 moving along, a band of buffaloes ran towards us; but as they passed, 



kept off some distance, running parallel with the road. Our Indian 



^^L.- 



