24 NEW TRACKS IN NORTH AMERICA. 



quiver twice or tluice before tliey darted into tlie eartli ; and 

 the eliains of fire would twine like serpents among the clouds 

 with a maryellous brilliancy. About noon, on our first day's 

 march, thick clouds began to creep over the sky, while distant 

 lightning played around as usual. The air was very sultry 

 and oppressive ; the mosquitoes unusually annoying. Scarcely 

 had we come in sight of our camping-ground, known as Spring 

 Creek Station, when down came the rain and hail in torrents. 

 Half-a-dozen tents were soon out of the wagons, and with 

 great exertions we fastened them down tight and crept inside. 

 Hour after hour down poured the rain, the thunder and light- 

 ning were not an instant still, the low land in front of us was 

 already a muddy lake, and nearer and nearer came the water's 

 edge. At last, just about dark, we were drowned out like 

 rats, and had to hunt for some other resting-place. Wading 

 up to our knees in slush, we crept from one wagon to another 

 as we found them filled with teamsters and troops ; for those 

 who had no tents were the first to take to the wagons. AH 

 crept in somewhere ; and as everything has an end, daylight 

 at last relieved us of any more vain attempts - at sleep, and 

 brought the fii'st night of our journey to a close. 



All along the Smoky Hill valley this storm had been 

 unusually severe. It deluged the senatorial party, while 

 they were camped at Fort Harker, twenty-four miles distant ; 

 and I was assured by some settlers afterwards that for seven- 

 teen years such a storm had not visited the "West. 



Seventy miles west of Fort Harker, at the next military 

 post, Fort Hayes, the stream which enters the Smoky Biver at 

 that point, known as " Little Big Creek," rose so rapidly on 

 this same night of the 7th of June, that five men who were 

 sleeping in their huts close to the river-bank were di'owned ; 

 and one of the officers, with his wife and family, had great 



