Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1882-06-02

with good saddles and brides They
stopped simultaneously close up to our
group, saying never word for some mo-
ments and closely scrutinizing us eating
] watched the Boss to see il by bis looks
and dcmoanor he evinced any uneasiness
at this procedure Of our visitors, but his
countenance was as stolid and unrcada-
bic as usual. | acknowledge the thing
looked little more than merely novel 10
me, and was little scarf up" until
one of the indians remarked, in as good
English as could have done, boys,
when you cross the bridge in the morn
ing it no one is there to take the toll 20
on to the Mission and some Of US will be
there to take it," and then made the
query: "Is there any other train near p
The three then rode off. felt quite re-
lieved now. as did others of the party.
and comprchended at once why they bad
come each from different quarter. They
were looking for the trains thatlike ours
would likely cross the bridge next morn
ing between where we then were and the
mission. What stream it was | cannot
now recall, but think it was the Cav"
or Kansas river This bridge had been
built by the Indians of the Mission, Us
were others we found on the journey.
The next morning by ten o'clock We
had crossed the bridge Of wood and
reached the Mission Here we paid the
toll ten dollars, | think; pretty stiff
price for so small train. We found
here quite a number of Indians, some
twenty or so small houses surrounding
the Mission house itself, which was, IL
| remember right, quite large stone
edifco with bclfry and bell, nicely
fenced off lot to each cottage, and there
seemed to be u good quantity of land
under cultivation. did not 90 into any
of tho houses, nor did see any Of the
missionaries On this very spot stands
to-day tho city either of Omaha or Law
renee, G cannot say which) with its popu-
lotion of perhaps twenty-five or thirty
thousand
We are now, on the sixth or eighth
day, ut point on the great emigrant
trail, from whence we saw for the first
time the Platte river, at point on tho
trail, | mean leaving Independence and
keeping in its course on the south side Of
that great water, for there was yet an
other trail starting from "St. Joo's" and
Council Bluffs" Missouri, keeping on
the north side, and which also now for
the first time we could see and continued
subsequently, to see at intervals during
several weeks, as both trails ran parallel
with the Platte, and that runs due east
from its sources in the Rocky Mountains
to its discharge in the Missouri, dis
!ance Of many miles, and although tho
trains on the two routes came often in
view of each other still they were great
way apart, since tho river is very wide,
particularly at this season Of the year,
and tho atmosphere extremely clear.
The travel was even greater Oh the
north Platte trail than on the south
Our party, which, as the reader will re-
member, had no cattle along as yet, (they
being near three weeks travel in advance
of u.s. caught up with and passed many
trains on the route, but generally at con-
siderable intervals apart, while on tho
north side of the Platte we could discern
a continuous stream of wagons. cattle,
sheep, DC, when discernble at all.
Among other arrangements made be-
fore leaving Independence it was de-
cided that one of the wagons, called the
Boss wagon, and drawn by the mules
aud horses alternately, should be driven
by the Boss and myself alone, and tho
other wagon. drawn by oxen, by one or the
other Of tho rest Of our party alternately.
Very few were the days the Boss drove
at all, so that up to the time Of our over
taking our advanced train, was almost
wholly occupied driving, sometimes rid
ing in the wagon. but most Of the time
walking along side of tho team, so that
it was not often had the chance like
the Boss and others to go ahead Of the
train and of the trail on hunting oxpe-
diti1ns aud to visit special curiosities.
such as that of Chimney Rock !" spoken
Of above, first seen as small black spcck
in the sky, but growing gradually larger
as VIC approach, and which when directly
opposite to US looked rs though but two
or three miles off, instead Of at least eight
miles, as some of the boys visiting it
found.
The Boss seemed to have great dis
like to driving, accordingly staid with
the train about one day out Of seven,
leaving it soon after breaking camp and
getting safely ont TO the trail, and very
rarely showing himself again until we
found him at tho place determined upon
before starting where we should camp at
night
The incidents am now going 10 re-
cite shall not attempt exactly To locatc
or time in their order. The following
may seem to my readers hardly worth al
fusion to, nevertheless it made an i'm
preston on my mind have never for
gotten and always looms uppermost in
memory when recalling this journey:
On or about the first occasion / had to
wander of from the train by myself, |
was walking along the trail, gun in hand,
some distance ahead of tho train and over
a little ascent in the road, when | espied
a large wolf making feast off the car
cass Of an OK or COW some proceeding
train had lost. | supposed the moment
the animal saw me he would jump and
run, but no, after eying INC attentively
a moment or two he returned to his meal,
jerking and pulling at the carcass a.
though he didn't care who or what |
was stood watching him awhile, and
it was the scene presented then 10 my
eye that made the impression | have
never forgotten. It was brilliantly
clear morning, aud the handsome shape
of the animal, (for he did not look to
me like other wolves had seen. low.
squatty and sneaking, but more of
the build Of a panther, as he stood on
that carcass, clear sky and bright
green sward in the background. the pic
turc seemed very beautiful to me. After