76 INDIANS. 



examine a trail he had met with on the prairie, for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining where it would lead to. The guide, after following it as far as 

 he supposed he would be required to do, returned and reported that it 

 led off into the prairies to no particular place, so far as he could dis- 

 cover. He was told that this was not satisfactory, and directed to take 

 the trail again, and to follow it until he gained the required information. 

 He accordingly went out the second time, but did not return that day, 

 nor the next, and the party, after a time, began to be alarmed for his 

 safety, fearing he might have been killed by the Indians. Days and 

 weeks passed by, but still nothing was heard of the guide, until, on 

 arriving at the first border settlement, to their astonishment, he made 

 his appearance among them, and, approaching the commanding officer 

 said, " Captain, that trail which you ordered me to follow terminates 

 here." He had, with indomitable and resolute energy, traversed alone 

 several hundred miles of wild and desolate prairie, with nothing but his 

 gun to depend upon for a subsistence, determined this time to carry out 

 the instructions of his employer to the letter. 



July 21. — We crossed two small branches this morning at four 

 o'clock, and continued our course over undulating prairies, with smooth 

 and even surfaces, frequently crossing small affluents of Beaver creek, 

 where we found good running spring water, which can always be relied 

 upon. 



We had a copious shower this morning, which is the first rain that 

 has fallen in several weeks. 



There is good timber and grass upon all the branches we have passed 

 to-day, and the soil is highly productive. We have also passed several 

 groves of post-oak timber upon the ridges ; this, however, for the most 

 part, is small, short, and scrubby. 



July 22. — Making an early start at two o'clock this morning, we 

 ascended the eastern branch of Beaver creek to its source, when we 

 found ourselves upon the ridge dividing this stream from Rush creek. 

 The ridge is covered with timber similar to that of the Cross Timbers, 

 consisting of post-oak and black-jack, (Quercus ferruginea.) 



Our road leads for five miles through this timber, when it emerges 

 into a beautiful meadow, where the head of one of the branches of Rush 

 creek takes its rise in large springs, and runs off in a fine bold stream, 

 with a variety of hard timber along its borders. After following down 

 this about two miles, we suddenly came in sight of several squaws 

 who were collecting the tall grass which grows along the banks of the 

 creek. They no sooner espied us than they jumped upon their horses 

 and were about making off; most of them, however, stopped at the 



