University of Virginia Library

26. CHAPTER XXVI.

Resuming our march, we forded the North
Fork, a rapid stream, and of a purity seldom to
be found in the rivers of the prairies. It evidently
had its sources in high land, well supplied
with springs. After crossing the river, we again
ascended among hills, from one of which we had
an extensive view over this belt of cross timber,
and a cheerless prospect it was; hill beyond hill,
forest beyond forest, all of one sad russet hue—
excepting that here and there a line of green
cottonwood trees, sycamores, and willows, marked
the course of some streamlet through a valley.
A procession of buffaloes moving slowly up the
profile of one of those distant hills, formed a
characteristic object in the savage scene. To
the left, the eye stretched beyond this rugged
wilderness of hills, and ravines, and ragged
forests, to a prairie about ten miles off, extending
in a clear blue line along the horizon. It
was like looking from among rocks and breakers

upon a distant tract of tranquil ocean. Unluckily,
our route did not lie in that direction;
we still had to traverse many a weary mile of
the “cross timber.”

We encamped towards evening in a valley,
beside a scanty pool, under a scattered grove of
elms, the upper branches of which were fringed
with tufts of the mystic misletoe. In the course
of the night, the wild colt whinnied repeatedly;
and about two hours before day, there was a
sudden stampedo, or rush of horses, along the
purlieus of the camp, with a snorting and neighing,
and a clattering of hoofs, that startled most
of the rangers from their sleep, who listened in
silence, until the sound died away like the rushing
of a blast. As usual, the noise was at first
attributed to some party of marauding Indians:
but as the day dawned, a couple of wild horses
were seen in a neighbouring meadow, which
scoured off on being approached. It was now
supposed that a gang of them had dashed through
our camp in the night. A general mustering of
our horses took place, many were found scattered
to a considerable distance, and several were
not to be found. The prints of their hoofs, however,
appeared deeply dinted in the soil, leading
off at full speed into the waste, and their owners,
putting themselves on the trail, set off in
weary search of them.

We had a ruddy daybreak, but the morning
gathered up grey and lowering, with indications
of an autumnal storm. We resumed our march
silently and seriously, through a rough and cheerless
country, from the highest points of which
we could descry large prairies, stretching indefinitely
westward. After travelling for two
or three hours, as we were traversing a withered
prairie, resembling a great brown heath, we
beheld seven Osage warriors approaching at a
distance. The sight of any human being in
this lonely wilderness was interesting; it was
like speaking a ship at sea. One of the Indians
took the lead of his companions, and advanced
towards us with head erect, chest thrown forward,
and a free and noble mien. He was a
fine looking fellow, dressed in scarlet frock and
fringed leggings of deer skin. His head was
decorated with a white tuft, and he stepped forward
with something of a martial air, swaying
his bow and arrows in one hand.

We held some conversation with him through
our interpreter, Beatte, and found that he and
his companions had been with the main part of
their tribe hunting the buffalo, and had met with
great success; and he informed us, that in the
course of another day's march, we would reach
the prairies on the banks of the Grand Canadian,
and find plenty of game. He added, that

as their hunt was over, and the hunters on their
return homeward, he and his comrades had set
out on a war party, to waylay and hover about
some Pawnee camp, in hopes of carrying off
scalps or horses.

By this time his companions, who at first stood
aloof, joined him. Three of them had indifferent
fowling-pieces; the rest were armed with
bows and arrows. I could not but admire the
finely shaped heads and busts of these savages,
and their graceful attitudes and expressive gestures,
as they stood conversing with our interpreter,
and surrounded by a cavalcade of rangers.
We endeavoured to get one of them to
join us, as we were desirous of seeing him hunt
the buffalo with his bow and arrow. He seemed
at first inclined to do so, but was dissuaded
by his companions.

The worthy Commissioner now remembered
his mission as pacificator, and made a speech,
exhorting them to abstain from all offensive acts
against the Pawnees; informing them of the
plan of their father at Washington, to put an
end to all war among his red children; and
assuring them that he was sent to the frontier to
establish a universal peace. He told them, therefore,
to return quietly to their homes, with the certainty
that the Pawnees would no longer molest
them, but would soon regard them as brothers.

The Indians listened to the speech with their
customary silence and decorum; after which,
exchanging a few words among themselves, they
bade us farewell, and pursued their way across
the prairie.

Fancying that I saw a lurking smile in the
countenance of our interpreter, Beatte, I privately
inquired what the Indians had said to
each other after hearing the speech. The leader,
he said, had observed to his companions, that,
as their great father intended so soon to put an
end to all warfare, it behooved them to make the
most of the little time that was left them. So
they had departed, with redoubled zeal, to pursue
their project of horse stealing!

We had not long parted from the Indians before
we discovered three buffaloes among the
thickets of a marshy valley to our left. I set
off with the Captain and several rangers, in
pursuit of them. Stealing through a straggling
grove, the Captain, who took the lead, got within
rifle shot, and wounded one of them in the
flank. They all three made off in headlong
panic, through thickets and brush-wood, and
swamp and mire, bearing down every obstacle
by their immense weight. The Captain and
rangers soon gave up a chase which threatened
to knock up their horses; I had got upon the
traces of the wounded bull, however, and was

in hopes of getting near enough to use my pistols,
the only weapons with which I was provided;
but before I could effect it, he reached the foot
of a rocky hill, covered with post-oak and brambles,
and plunged forward, dashing and crashing
along, with neck or nothing fury, where it
would have been madness to have followed him.

The chase had led me so far on one side, that
it was some time before I regained the trail of
our troop. As I was slowly ascending a hill, a
fine black mare came prancing round the summit,
and was close to me before she was aware.
At sight of me she started back, then turning,
swept at full speed down into the valley, and up
the opposite hill, with flowing mane and tail,
and action free as air. I gazed after her as long
as she was in sight, and breathed a wish that so
glorious an animal might never come under the
degrading thraldom of whip and curb, but remain
a free rover of the prairies.