The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-01

o. u.s. AZ nigut, tney nlueouSly howl around
our camp, and disturb the quiet of our repose
when we go out hunting, savage black bears
sullenly look out at us from their hiding places.
In the dead hours of the darkest night, as the
seminal PAGES to and fro along his lonely post,
with SLOW and measured step, he is startled from
his reveries BY the quick, sharp bark of the
fox, orthe shrill and thrilling yell of the PAN
ther, as he prowls abroad in guest of prey to
feast upon. In the daytime, when the plarinp
sun Is casting abroad his most scorching rays,
after the command has camped, everything be.
com niet, and nearly all are INDUCING in the
luxury OF an afternoon siesta, he who ven
lures TO walk out over the prairie is sure to see
sights worth noting. Large land terrapins Jump
from under his feet, and go shambling off;
great yellow and spotted rattle-snakes lie in an
ugly coil, with heads erect aid ring tune with
their hateful rattles, as he approaches large
black racers chase innocenttlttle prairie spar.
rows and other small birds; great lizards of
various eolors go frisking hither and thither !;
monstxSRs tarantulas sit basking in the sun |,
and PdlsoHous centiPedes lie ander the shade
of tussocks; aud all around very dense popula-
ton OF insects keep up an incessant din and
racket grasshoppers fly into his face, and
screeching locusts sail by his ear.
About the fourth day after last wrote you.
we arrived at the Canadian river on the banks
of which we pitched our tents. Here five In
dams came into camp. They were dressed in
the costume of Mexican Greasers, mounted on
fine mustang ponies, and carried long rifles
They claimed to be Mohaves, and said they
had been sent out by their tribe to select good
summer hunting ground. Our guides gave them
their suppers, and they departed j ke be-
fore nightfall
Leaving this camp, we took the fridge
route, but had to 60 down to the Canadian
again for wood and water. From this camp a
detachment of twenty men were sent ahead to
search for camping places. The requisites for
a good place are plenty of water, grass, and
wood.
With the Antelope Hills expedition are about
five hundred men, four hundred horses, six hun
dred mules, near hundred beef cattle, and a
great number of dogs. No meagre supply of
these requisites is sufficient for all these.
| went with the detached party. We left the
Canadian to the north, and kept along the great
ridge dividing the waters of the Canadian from
those of the Washita. To follow the former
river is impracticable, on account of the numer-
GUS ravines and chasms. The ridge route is a
very dry one. The creeks and rivulets are all
short, and we necessarily had to go around the
heads of most of them. After selecting some
half dozen camping places, we returned to the
command. One of our selections astonished
those who were out on their first campaign. The
only water that could be obtained within miles
of the camp was found in one of those strange
underground creeks, deep down in the bowels
of mother earth.
One unaccustomed to the peculiarities of the
Southwestern plains would have no suspicion OF
the existence of either timber or water within a
circle of many miles-as far as the eye could
reach--until turning to the left, he comes with
in few hundred yards of deep canon lean
yon.) He can just see the tops of tall trees
elms, pines, and cedars-peeping over the
rocky lodges that enclose the brook over which
they stand sentinels. To reach this stream
the narrowest, crookedest, and most dangerous
and frightful paths ever traversed. Sometimes
along the side midway from top to bottom) OF
kt6ss psspsadscnlar rooaryf soa red sand-
stone,) where the least false step would send
man and animal whrling down. down into the
frightful abyss far below. But hazardous as
this mode of watering stock was, it was the
only chance of obtaining water for the poor
thirst suffering animals, and all succeeded with
out the occurrence of a serious accident.
Before we found another suitable place to
encamp, we came to a settlement of conical
mountains like huge potato-hils rising out OF
a meadow. These peaks, hills, mountains, or
whatever they may most appropriately be called,
tower up to the height of several hundred feet
Most of them are round and cone-like, and
cover several acres in extent. AT the foot oil
one of the largest of these, fine spring gushed
forth, and sent out an abundant supply of the
finest of water. We next passed over a streak
of gypsum country, where the water was Sc
strongly impregnated with mineral substances
as to be almost unbearable and unfit for use
However we had to put up with it for thirty six
hours.
Leaving this detestable streak, we bore to
the southwark, in order to strike the slope
washed by the smaller tributaries of the Wash
tia river, and for two or three days marched
in sight of the Washita belt of timber. Then,
bearing to the northward again, we crossed the
great divide, and in the afternoon of the 18th
again camped on the banks of the Canadian,
and in sight of the much.talked-of Antelope
Ellis.
But here am in permanent camp again
but, having proved neglected. chronicler of
events, / must again return to bring up a few
stragglers.
While encamped on Silver Creek, very
large buffalo bull came charging over the hill,
and into the midst of the horses of troop 81"
all Of which broke their larriettes and started
off in laundering stampede. The cry of buff
falo, buffalo, was raised all over the camp and
in moment all was intense excitement. A
man, who happened to be with the horses, gave
his buffaloship a pistol shot in the flank
wherein, he turned to face the music, and stood
violently paving the ground and bidding def
ance to the approaching hosts. Excited men,
with carbines and six-shooters, came running
from the camp, and others, with long ri
fees and shotguns, came running from the
train. The solitary buffalo brave was soon
surrounded with several hundred armed men,
who Immediately commenced vigorous cross
fire on him, and it was not long before his
tough and shaggy hide was literally riddled
with ball holes, and he sank beneath the weight
and pain of leaden bullets. 1t was passing
strange, that some of the men were not shot, and
/ presume that they owed their escape to the
fact that the buffalo, had taken his position
in small hollow, while the men occupied high
ground, and shot downward.
This was the first buffalo that many of the
men had ever seen. One teamster, who had
been preparing the supper of his massmates,
stood in the midst of the excited crowd, hat of,
sleeves rolled up, frying pan in one hand, and
big wet dish-rag in the other, and yelling at
the top of his voice, +" a young elephant, a
young elephant, aoith no head oni'. Such is
camp life.
Yours, truly, GUY OAKLEAF.
A CRUEL Practical JoKE.--A correspond
ent gives an account of a practical joke played
upon a fugitive couple of lovers, who were es-
Gaping from the veto of an memorable parent,
which, if brought to the knowledge of the law
officers MIGHT vrovo do n oorou and cnsflv finn