little about the- business , had not ob
served the precaution of fastening the
trap to something permanent.
"While breakfast was being prepared ,
and the horses were filling themselves
with grass , the unlucky trapper went in
quest of his trap. A wolf had been
caught , and as he dragged the trap
along , ho left a very distinct trace in
the grass , by which he was easily fol
lowed. But he had crept into a very
thick patch of brush , made almost im
penetrable by a rank growth of hazel.
And how was the trap to be recovered ?
The wolf was doubtless alive , and it
would be very hazardous to attempt to
enter his place of refuge. An effort
was made to encourage the dogs to go
in , but they recollected the rough fare
they experienced the previous evening ,
and would not go beyond the edge of
the thicket. In the midst of his per
plexities , the young trapper was re
lieved by the arrival of two of the
company , one of whom climbed a pin-
oak tree that stood in the edge of the
brush , and from the top of which he had
a fair view of the formidable occupant
of the brush-patch , and shot him with
his rifle. All danger being now re
moved , the dead wolf was dragged from
his fastness , with one of his fore feet
in the trap. He was of the largest kind ,
and almost black. As there were no
wolves to be seen on the prairie in the
morning , it was feared that all of them
had been led off by the one in the trap ;
and that trap and wolf would not be
seen again.
* # #
"In the journal before me , nothing is
noted of much importance , until they
reached the Kansas river , an affluent to
the Missouri. The river rises in the
plains west , and runs east into the Mis
souri. It was about three hundred and
thirty yards wide. The party were able
to ford it. When they were about ten
miles from this river , they saw , as they
thought , several Indians ; but they soon
lost sight of them. As they approached
the Kansas , they observed a great many
horse tracks t some of which were very
fresh , and several places where buffalo
had been killed by the Indians. They
were evidently in the neighborhood of
Indian villages. Big White said they
were the Kansas tribe , a fierce and war
like nation. They had lived higher up
the Missouri , where they were involved
in a number of unfortunate wars with
some of the neighboring tribes , which
nearly resulted in their extinction. They
had been nearly broken down , and lost
quite a number of their braves. They
were driven down towards the Kansas ,
about one hundred miles.
* # *
"The company encamped on the west
side of the Kansas river , and about a
mile and a half from it , on the bordei
of a prairie. They had not been there
long before they saw a small party of
Kansas Indians , passing not very far
"rom the company. Some of the men
approached them , making signs of
friendship , and induced them to come
to the camp. They cast very inquisitive
looks upon the white men , and at first
seemed rather alarmed ; but the kind
ness of the party towards them soon
dispelled their fears. By the aid of the
Mandan chief , who partially understood
their language , and acted as a kind of
interpreter , Captain Williams learned
that they belonged to the Kansas nation ,
and had been out on a hunt to procure
buffalo meat. They represented one of
their villages as being about six miles
down the Kansas river. With a view
of securing their friendship , Captain
Williams gave them several presents ,
with which they were greatly pleased.
In return they gave Captain Williams
some buffalo meat , upon which his men
feasted very heartily that night.
f "Having passed three days with this
tribe , Captain Williams resumed his
journey with his men , greeted with the
best wishes of these unsophisticated
children of nature , for their future good
luck. He was advised by Big White to
bear more to the west , to avoid the
broken , hilly country near the Missouri ,
and to avoid the difficulty sometimes
experienced in crossing its tributaries
near their mouths. The hostile parties
of Indians , too , with whom they might
fall in , would not be very large , and of
course less formidable , as their villages
were generally near the Missouri. Cap
tain Williams , therefore , determined to
cross the Platte , a short distance below
the junction of the north and south
forks , and pursued his course accord
ingly. The company traveled over a
dry , elevated , rich prairie country.
Buffalo were seen in great numbers.
Elk , deer and the antelope were fre
quently to be seen , scampering and
curveting , and sometimes gazing with
wild curiosity upon the company as they
passed along. Frequent signs of In
dians were seen through the day , but
the fears of the party were not excited ,
as they were made , in all probability ,
by the hunting parties of the Kansas.
"An hour before sunset .the company
came to a halt to refresh themselves and
horses. This evening a dog that had
been exchanged for a horse overtook
them , and seemed much pleased with
rejoining his old acquaintances. There
was a piece of rawhide attached to his
neck , by which he had been tied , and
which he had out , and in this way made
his escape. How he passed , without be
ing attacked by wolves and torn to
pieces , was a matter of surprise to the
the party , who had observed that wolves
were very numerous. At dark a light
was observed across the prairie , which
was most likely that of an Indian camp.
The company put out their fires , mount
ed their horses , and traveled eight or
ten miles further , and then nnpaokec
and fettered their horses , and turned
; hern out to graze , whilst they wrapped
; hemselves up in their blankets and
.aid themselves down to sleep. The
light of the ensuing morning revealed
to the men the most extensive and beau
tiful prospect they had ever seen. They
found themselves on the most elevated
point in a grand prairie that spread al
most immeasureably in every direction.
In every way they looked , a beautiful
sea-green surface spread onward and on
ward , until it united with the utmost
verge of the sky , bearing a striking re
semblance to the undulating surface of
the ocean. The prairie was dotted , here
and there , with bands of the different
kinds of animals , which at that early
day were very numerous in the far
west. Far away in the distance was to
be seen a herd of buffalo , some quietly
grazing and others reposing upon the
grass. Near at hand was a band of
hungry and roguish-looking wolves ,
curiously eyeing the company , and pa
tiently licking tlTeir lips in anticipation
of the sweet morsels and bones they ex
pected to pick up about the camp when
the party were gone. In this beauti
ful , exciting panorama of nature were
the elk and the antelope , the one
crowned with his stately , wide-spread
ing antlers ; the other sweeping and
curveting around with so much grace
and ease , as scarcely to appear to make
a single muscular effort. And then ,
hard-by , was a little village of prairie
dogs , the industrious inhabitants of
which were up at the first break of day ,
yelping and skipping about , darting in
to their holes , and as quickly
coming out again , and in this
way expressing the surprise and
curiosity created by the presence of
these intruders upon their territory.
Although the company was delighted
with the scene they did not think it
a safe policy to occupy so conspicuous
a place very long , as they might be
espied many miles in every direction by
any roving bands of Indians that might
be in that region. Without , therefore ,
enjoying their usual morning repast ,
they hurried off , and traveled until
noon , when they came to timber , in
which they passed several hours of re
pose both to themselves and their horses.
"In the latter part of this day , a rum
bling , rolling noise was heard oy the
company , in the south , resembling
distant thunder. Big White , who was
an experienced buffalo hunter , said that
it was made by the running of-a very
Jargo heard of frightened buffalo , and ,
as the sound became more and "more
distinct , he stated that they , in all
probability , were coming towaVd the
company , a circumstance that would
be attended with danger , if they were
as numerous as the noise indicated.
"For one hour the thundering con
tinued , becoming more and more audi
ble , until the dork rolling mass of liv
ing , moving animals were seen on the
verge of the horizon , coming directly