Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-03-04
CUSTER CITY. SOUTH DAKOTA SATURDAY. MARCH 4, 1911.
with thick coat of grass that generally

l.
cred with snow. 1t was the best grazing
lands we had yet passed over. We had
arrived at the Wapka Schika or Bad
River, as nearly as we could tell by the
map. There was no river or even q
creek now, only frozen pool of water
could be found occasionally along its bed.
When the ice was cut terrible stencil
arose from the pool beneath, but the
water tasted better than it smelled or
looked. There was but little timber at
this point and this was mostly cotton
wood. We were undoubtedly near the
source of the stream. Indians had
passed but short time before our arri-
val, as their fresh trail would indicate,
only few rods from our camp.
As we pulled into camp on Bad River
we found that Mr.. Aarons. bad breathed
his last. He had died 4 short time be-
fore entering camp, as one of the boys
had given him drink not more than
an hour before. During the night
light fall of snow came and the morning
was dark and gloomy, tbs clouds hang
ing among the tree tops.
l have always observed that people
like the barometer, are effected by the
weather, being cheerful and bouyant or
sad and depressed, in accordance with
the weather While a beautiful sun
shiny morning would produce bouyancy
and good cheer, morning like this with
death in our camp, with fresh Indian
trail visible forcibly reminding us that
any moment might bring US face to face
with a foe that would abruptly end our
trail by blotting US out of existence, and
with the further depressing conviction
that had crept into the minds of few
of our party that we were lost for the
time being, cast a shadow over the
minds of the most resolute and sad
ness like pail of gloom seemed to per-
wade the camp.
A rough coffin was made by splitting
cottonwood logs and the mortal remains
of our friend and companion was laid to
rest on little knoll to the left of the
stream. We did not know that he was
member of any church, but Williams
read an appropriate passage from the
Bible. The grave was properly filled
and we turned from the sad spot and
resumed our journey.
From this point our course was nearly
west for few days. We followed the
course of stream that headed near the
breaks of the Cheyenne and skirted the
bad lands on the north. About noon the
clouds dispersed, the sun came out and
the shadows of gloom were entirely dis
PEELED. The country is similar to what
we had passed over in the last few days
only We were following valley that was
smooth and gently sloping. A few large
cottonwood trees grew along the margin
of the stream or the center of the valley
where water runs when there Is lots of
rain. The sun was warm and the light
snow soon disappeared.
On the third day Red Dan and I dis
covered the Black Hills from the top of
a high butte. They were on the left OF
our train and were about so miles dis
tant in direct line. They resembled
huge black snake stretched out
along the horizon after having swal-
lowed few elephants, camels, etc. This
discovery gave new confidence to those
who thought we were lost and were
wandering aimlessly over the world.
The head of this valley and the breaks of
the Cheyenne, for they were the same,
were reached about the last of Novem-
ber and was a very charming and pict-
uresque spot.
l. r-,.