KE-CHE-A-QUI-HO-NO. 49 



CHAPTER VI. 



Arrive at main south fork — panther killed — bitter water — intense 

 thirst head spring bears abundant— departure down the river. 



June 27. — Making an early start this morning, we travelled down tbe 

 river for five miles, when we crossed and resumed the south course over 

 high rolling lands, much broken up on each side into numerous deep 

 defiles and rugged cliffs, running towards the main river. 



Directly in front of us lay the high table-lands of the "Llano estacado," 

 towering up some eight hundred feet above the surrounding country, 

 and bordered by precipitous escarpments capped with a stratum of white 

 gypsum, which glistened in the sun like burnished silver. After trav- 

 elling fourteen miles, we reached the valley of the principal branch of 

 the river. 



It was here nine hundred yards wide, flowing over a very sandy bed, 

 with but little water in the channel, and is fortified upon each side by 

 rugged hills and deep gullies, over which I think it will be impossible to 

 take our train. The soil throughout this section is a light ferruginous 

 clay, with no timber except a few hackberry and cotton-wood trees upon 

 the banks of the streams. There is but little water either in the river or 

 in the creeks, and in a dry season I doubt if there would be any found 

 here. 



Our route to-day has continued to lead us through dog towns, and it 

 is probable that the fact of their being so abundant here has suggested 

 the name which the Comanches have applied to this branch of Red 

 river, of " Ke-che-a-qui-ho-no," or " Prairie-dog-town river." 



We were so unfortunate yesterday as to lose an excellent bear-dog 

 which a gentleman in Arkansas had taken great pains to procure for 

 me. I regret this very much, as we are now coming into a country 

 where we shall probably find these animals abundant, and it is difficult 

 to hunt them without a good dog, trained for the purpose. 



Our hunters killed two antelopes to-day. We have seen but few deer, 

 however, and no turkeys, during the last week. We occasionally see the 

 pinnated grouse and the quail ; as also the meadow-lark, which I have 

 found in all places wherever I have travelled. 



June 28. — On leaving our encampment of last night, we took a 

 southwesterly course for the eastern extremity of the white -capped bluffs 

 4 



