The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-08-19
OTTAWA, ILLINOIS, FRIDAY AUGUST 10, 1892


water.-We moved to higher ground,
found means to set fire to large dry CO.
dar, once ynore rolled up in our wet blan-
kets, and after thinking of home and It's
comforts soon fell asleep.
Never shall forget that awful night.
The lightning appeared 10 be playing
about in the ravne far below us, bringing
ont in bold relief the wilderness of its
scraggy sides. Deatenng peals of thun-
der seemed rising from the very bowels of
the earth, and then muttered away in the
distance rejoicing, as it were, at their es-
cape from confinement. The yawning
abyss appeared TO be workshop for the
manufacture of the storm, and there we
were at the very doors when the ruler of
elements sent forth a specimen OF his
grandesi, his sublimest work.
Our Gloomy Journey coaiinued-Dsa, Aatelopes
and Mustangs seen Spanish Curle,os A
Bu6alo Discovered tie meet doy with a Regular
Chase
Our gloomy journey was continued on
the 4th September, the cravings of hunger
now severely felt by all. Small gangs of
deer and antelope were seen through the
day, brought from the water courses
doubtless by the recent rains, and towards
night a drove Of mustangs were described
upon roll Of the prairie half mile ahead
of us. They were all extremely shy,
however, and although many rifles were
discharged not shot was successlul--we
could not get near enough TO kill one Of
them. That night we encamped near a
water hole, covering an area of some
twenty acres but very shallow. Large
fOcks Of Spanish curews, one Of the fl
nest binds that flies, were lowering and
lighting about on all sides. Had been
in possession of IA double-barrelcd gun
with small shot would have had at least
one good NEAL had but heavy rifle
and went 10 my lodgings on the ground
supperless.
About ten o'clock the next morning we
saddled up and resumed our travel, jour
neying still in a northwest course by the
stars. On leaving the main camp it was
thought by all that we could not be more
than one hundred miles from San Miguel
we had now more than made that dis
lance and were still upon the immense
prairie. To relieve ourselves from the
horrible suspense we were in, 10 push for
ward with the hope of procuring provis-
ions, TO get someWhere, i'll short, where
the alternatives to which we were driven,
and hurricdly we oppressed onward with the
hope of finding relief. Oar holses, in the
meantime, had comparatively suffered less
than ourselves, for the grazing on the
prairie had been good; but the hurried
marches and the difficult crossings Of the
immense chasms now began to tell upon
them.
At sunrise we halted near a small pond
of water to rest the animals and allow
them an hour to feed. Large white cranes
were standing about in the pond, and
Aocks of ducks were swimming upon the
surface. While resting about on the
ground large antelope was seen slowly
approaching us how stopping, then
walking few steps nearer, evidently in
In hat ~
were. His curiosity finally cost him his
life for although Capt. Sutton the eve
ming previous had given orders that not
another shot should be fired without his
consent, one of our men could not resist
the temptation OF bringing him down. He
was arrested and sent to the rear for this
disobedience of orders, but | have little
doubt the excellent meal he made more
than compensated for the disgrace. The
order Of Capt. S. that no rifle should be
discharged was an excellent one, as many
shots had been wasted on the previous
day; but the best officer in existence can
net restrain half-starved man when he
sees meal of victuas Immediately within
his grasp.
Shortly after this incident we again re-
sumed our journey. The same dreary
spectacle, a boundlcss prairie, was still be-
fore us-not sign was observable that
we were nearing its edge. In this way
we journcyed rapidly on until near the
middle OF the afternoon, when dark spot
was noticed some mile or IN lie and hall
directly ahead of us. At first it was
thought to be low bush bu. as we gradu.
ally neared it it had more the appearance
of rock, although nothing Of the kind
upon the prairie with the exception of a,
the chasms.