Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-21


within thirty feet. They crowded toge.
Their more densely still as ! came upon
them. In Il few nom ents the mass divided
to the right and left, the hsrns gathering
with noise heard bove every thing else,
and my horse darled into the opening
Five or six bulls charged on us as we
dashed along the line, bu; were left Tar be
hind and singing out COW, ! gave her
my fire, but struck too high. She gave a
tremendous leap, aud secured of faster
than before. ! refined up my horse, and
the oand swept on like Il mighty torrent,
and left The place quiet and clear. Our
chase had led Us into dangerous ground.
A prairie-dog village, so lhickly settled
that there were three or four holes IN eve
ry twenty yards square, occupied the
whole bottom for nearly two miles IN
length. Looking around, | saw only one
of the hunters, nearly out Of sight, and
The long dark line of our caravan crawl-
ing along, three or four miles dlstnt.--
After march of "a miles, we encamp-
ed at nghtrall, one mile and a halt above
the lower end of Brady's island The
breadth OF this arm of the river the Great
Platte, or Nebraska-shallow water,l was
eight hundred and eighty yards, and the
water nowhere two feet in depth. The
northern channel, $3.50 Ieet wide, was
somewhat deeper, having frequently three
feet OF water in the numerous small chan
nels, with bed Of coarse gravel The
whole breadth Of the Nebraska, lmmed'
atey below the junction, is $3.50 feet
| July 1.-'The camp was reused with a
salute at day-break, and from our scanty
store a portion Of what the Indians Gull
the Z" red fire water" served out TO the
men. We crossed this morning numerous
beds of the small creeks which, in the time
Of rains and melting snow come pouring
down from the ridge, bringing with them
always great quantities Of sand and gra.
vel, which have gradually raised their beds
four to Ten fee, above The level of the
prairie, which they cross, making each one
of them miniature Pc. Raised in this
way above the surrounding prairie, with.
; out any bank, the long yellow aud wlod-
ing line Of their beds resembles a cause
2 way from the hills to the river. Many
spots on the prairie are yellow with sun
a flower, (heliantlas)
' As we were riding slowly along this
J afternoon, clouds of dust in The rayines
among the hills to the right suddenly at.
tracted our attention, and in few mi
nuies column after column Of buffalo came
t galloping down, making directly 10 the ri
yer By the time the leading herds had
: reached the water, the prairie was darken
Q ed with the dense masses. Immediately
: before US, when the bands first came down
e into the valley, stretched an unbroken line,
. the head of which was lost among the
c river hills on the opposite side; and still
: they poured down from the ridge on our
e right From hill 10 hill, the prairie bot
2 tom was certainly not less than two miles
6 wide; and allowing the animals TO be
e ten feet apart, and only ten ia line, there
I were already eleven thousand ia view.
Some idea may thus be formed Of their
D number when they had occupied the whole
Il plain. In a snort time they surrounded
{. Us on every side, extending for several
q miles in the rear aud forward as far as
n the eve could reach leaving around Us
v as VIC advanced, an open space Of only
d two or three hundred yards. This move
s ment of the buffalo Indicated to us the pre-.
6 sence of Indians on the North fork.
1t July 8.-Journeying along, we came
g suddenly upon place where the GROUND
o was covered with the fresh tracks Of hpr-
e SEES, which had been made since the rain
ii and indicated the immediate presence o.
J, Indians in our neighborhood. The bulla.
g 10, too, which the day before had been nu
d nerous, were nowhere 10 sighi--anolheI
d sure indication that they were people near
II Riding On, we discovered the caIcase pf q
/, buffalo recently killed--perhaps the day
e before. We scanned the horizon closely
II with the glasses, bu; no living thing wal
to be seen. For the next mile or two
Is the ground was dotted with buffalo carca
!. ses, which showed Thar the Indians hat
n made surround here, and were in consi
e derabIe force. We went on quickly AM
e cautiously, keeping the river notion, AM
h carefully avoiding the hills but we me
a with no interruption, and began 70 grow
n careless again. There were some dark
lie looking objects among the hills, about lw'
81 miles 70 the LETT, here low and undululing
d which we had seen for little lime, ant
lie supposed 10 be buffalo coming in 10 water
ID but, happening % look behind, Maxwell
v saw our CheN enne- whipping up furious
q Is, and another glance al the dark object
&. showed them at once TO be- Indians com
ID ing up at speed Had we been wei
If mounted, and dsencumbered Of instru
n, mems, we might have sci Them al def
e. ance; bu, as It was, we we're airIy caugh
he Il was too late TO rejcin our friends, an