CROSSING THE PLAINS THIRTY YEARS AGO. 



22() 



thing that nobody else could swear 

 to. Be this as it may, his name has 

 been handed down through all these 

 years, but no one is now permitted 

 to follow his example ; for whenever 

 an unbranded animal is discovered, 

 the "maverick " is taken up, sold at 

 public auction, the buyer's brand 

 put on it, and the amount credited 

 to the Cattle Association which gov- 

 erns in that section of the country. 



The journal continues: " June 30th. 

 We have to-day camped on the bank 

 of the river about 100 miles west of 

 Kearney, at a point where the sand 

 hills have assumed a more broken 



tracks worn by them as in times past 

 they followed each other in single 

 file from their grazing-grounds to 



their watering-places. These tracks 

 are now overgrown with { rass and 

 remind one, like the grass-grown 

 streets of some deserted cit) . of tin- 

 vast population which has pas 

 along them. They are rather for 

 cibly brought to one's mind, even 

 when unseen, by the bumping of the 

 ambulance, as its wheels go over 

 them. 



Sunday, July 1st. We are encamped 

 in a beautiful position on a fine stream 

 of running water called Fremont's 

 slough, within sight of the Platte, and 



ON THE ROUND-UP. 



appearance and are nearer the water. 

 At our camps for several nights past 

 it was only necessary to walk through 

 thehigh grass to raise myriads of mos- 

 quitoes, which would buzz about our 

 ears, cover our clothes, and attack 

 with their sharp bite every exposed 

 part of the face and hands. A brisk 

 breeze has usually sprung up to 

 drive them off, but last night they 

 got into the tents in considerable 

 numbers and to-night we think of 

 looking to our bars for protection. 



"We have seen but eight or ten 

 buffalo since leaving Kearney, al- 

 though the valley is crossed by deep 



half a mile from the campofaboul 

 Sioux, with women and children, some 

 of whom were in Gen. Harney's last 

 battle. They are a wild looki 

 and soon overran our camp pre] 

 ed to beg anything or everythn 

 but the Colonel sent them off. 1 

 in the day, while I was off on a hunt, 

 they came into camp, when F. and the 

 children had a good li them, 



and little Fannie exchanged a j»: 

 of hard bread for a bird, shot with 

 an arrow, by an ugly little urchin 

 dressed in tin- ininumun amount 

 rags usual among them. 



" We are now getting into a m< 



