MISSOURI MOUSE. 
329 
when we should arrive at that river. We travelled rather slowly until 
we had crossed a point and headed the ponds on the prairie at the foot 
of the hills opposite the fort. We saw one sharp-tailed grouse, but al- 
though Mr. Harris searched for it diligently, it could not be started. 
Soon after this we got one of the wheels of our wagon fast in a crack 
or crevice in the ground, and wrenched it so badly that we were obliged 
to get out and walk, while the men set to work to repair the wheels 
which were all in a rickety condition ; after the needful fixing-uji had 
been done, the wagon overtook us, and we proceeded on. Saw some 
antelopes on the prairie, and many more on the tops of the hills bound- 
ing our view to the westward. We stopped to water the horses at a 
“ saline,” where we observed that buffaloes, antelopes, and other animals 
had been to drink, and had been lying down on the margin. The water 
was too hot for us to drink. After sitting for nearly an hour to allow the 
horses to get cool enough to take a bait, for it was very warm, we again 
jiroceeded on until we came to the bed of a stream, which during spring 
overflows its banks, but now exhibits only pools of water here and there. 
In one of these pools we soaked our dry wagon wheels, by way of tight- 
ening the “tires,” and here we refreshed ourselves and quenched our 
thirst. SauiREs, Provost, and Owex, started on before us to reconnoitre, 
and we followed at a pretty good pace, as the prairie was hereabouts firm 
and tolerably smooth. Shot a red-winged black-bird. Heard the notes 
of Nuttall’s short-billed marsh-wren,— supposed by some of our party 
to be those of a new bird. Saw nothing else ; reached our camping-place 
at about 6 o’clock. Unloaded the wagon and cart, hobbled the horses, 
and turned them out to grass. Two or three of the men went off to a 
point above our camp, in search of something for supper. We took the 
red- winged black-bird, and a fishing-line, and went to the bank of the famed 
Yellow-Stone river, (near the margin of which our tent was pitched,) and 
in this stream of the far west, running from the bases of the Rocky Moun- 
tains, we threw our line, and exercised our piscatory skill so successfully 
as to catch some cat fish. These fish we found would not bite at pieces 
of their own kind, with which we tried them ; after expending our bird 
bait, we therefore gave up fishing. One of our men took a bath, while 
two others, having launched the skiff rowed across the river to seek for 
deer or other game on the opposite shore. Toward dark the hunting par- 
ties all returned to camp without success ; and we found the cat-fish the 
principal portion of our supper, having no fresh meat at all. 
(i)ur supper over, all parties shortly disposed themselves to sleep as they 
best could. About 10 o’clock, we were all dfsturbed by a violent thunder 
storm, accompanied by torrents of rain and vivid flashes of lightning ; 
VOL. m. — -42 
