Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-10-06

body. | was tired and faint. however.
IRON want IL lood and the unuaual tati-
CUES IF the day, aud wet as | was, soon
Tell asleep.
Tie next morning, while drying our
blankets. Il patty ~ent out III search III
! The buti..lo, and with success. They,
found hnl badly wounded aud unable I"
ruu. aud >in.l. nelI-drccted ball COM
peted at length our work. On taking
Oh his h3dt. it was found that over thir-
" balls had struck him, not Que OF them.
however. had touched him in a mortal
part. although l,e must have dice: during
The day from his wounds. Every pound
nt his poor and touch flesh was br0't into
! ca,mp, anI after having been evenly disi-
tded among the different messes, prepare
4 Inns were made for our departure.
We had scarcely proceeded mile. be-
! fire we encoun cred Il narrow but dee!
! guilty. running nearly north and south.
,ne banks of which were filed to the top
with water.-Nith no certainly OF lad
ing a fordirg place near. we dashed IN
.,sdlite!y iii and swan Du: horses SAFELY
.tross. Tie passage having been made
tnc quincy was again resumed. and
brskly We secured across the smonth bat
les ,Ia'e prairie. We hurried rapidly IL
with the hope that before nj sht-faii We
might discover either trees on bn shes OF
! so.ue ksn, to cook Cur buii'.o meat, bul
! he sun went down, and with 1t all our
prospects.
Ne gathered few buffalo chips -ex-
ceIleut they when dry AID universally
! used for cooking purposes by all travel
Iers upnn the lone pralries but IN the
present instance they had been d ,rper-
ed b, the heavy night showers. and it
was with the greatest difficulty that we
could ignite them at all. We made out,
however, to warm our meat a little, |
will mt saw that it was cooked. and vor-
aciou,ly d d swallow several pounds oil!
the ton II and unsayory food yet poor
as it was. at the time thought it the
most ,Ieliciou, meal had ever made.
That night, and for the first Sine since
we had struck the grand prairie. we were
serenaled by pack Of rascaIiy wolves.
who skuiked and howleI for hours with
in few Yards Of our outposts. The
'.sisn'' was considered as highly ,favora-
bic at the time, as these animals are sell
dom found far. from woods or settlements.
An old backwards man remarked that we
should fad Indians, white people or an
end to the prairie next day.
We made an early start in the morn-
n Al, n fh.,
About nine O'Clock dr,ve. numbering
some seseutv-hnrse~. as We then thought.
was discovered some distance 10 the lett.
To-all appearance they were tame amin
ais, and many thong ht they could see hu-
nan beings among them.
Our main party im,ne,iia'e'y halted
and formed. while three or :s,ur nf u went
out with thu intention us takin..a cln-er
IooS at nur neighbors. ENLISTED IA
If truce. and IA sorry looking H.. it was.
WIS the oaner and assessor Of hand
ker, hleF which. in 1t, DAYS. had been
white. / was aow IA tBl~erible, whtfy-
brown i.i'alinl. but at the same time tt
came nearer peaceful color than anvv
thing we hal. aud was accordingly hoist
ed upon ramtod and held high aluIt.
~ we gradually approached. there APP
peal Ell To be ~ little commo1inn among
the strangers. Their actions were plai l.
" those of mustangs. and with the belief
that they were no,hln. else. we returned
to tie main party and the march was le-
sunrd. Among the gang. when we no.
tce,l them, were :wo or three white spots
which we in3stook for the HAss--a nearer
view Convinced US that they were young
colts.
About the middle of the day. Ear to.tlie
Southwest. the deep blue tops Of Il range
of mountains were seen. and as we jour
nevea on they soon more plainly develop
ell them selves, This wa, joyful sight
to all. We hal now been seven DAYS mp.
un the prairie, averaging at least thirty
miles day. and many began 70 despair
of over getting off the dreary waste.
There was now prospect of a change.
aud any change we then thought wou's!
be tor the better.
We continued on until near three o.
clock. when suddenly a beautiful valley.
with here and there a clamp Ut :rees.
came in sight. Beyond, in the distance,
there vas every appearance of IA large
stream OF water, and that, in our fond
anticips'ions, we put down as the long
>ouahtf,r Red River. Hating in a re-
mAniic little grove of cn:ton-wood, tor an
hour or two, we kinded fire. cooked
aud eat the balance of our buffalo meat.
aud dried our wet clothing. After this.
We pirsaed OUR journey along the valley
IN il western course, it being impossible
10 ~ northwest on account of deep and
abta Jr ravnes, and after reaching small
..prinl among some hills encamped for
the night.