Slipping cable, we glided midway of the stream, and gave a parting salute to the friends who lined the shore, accompanied by a loud hurra and waving of hats, deeply responded to by them, —and even tears coursed their way a down the dusky visages of our voyageurs, when mindful of the fate separating them—perhaps forever!
The crews now struck up a merry song, while the dripping oars, as they spurned the crystal waters, responded their time in measured strokes.
As we passed swiftly along and were fast receding from within hailing distance of the Fort, an old mountaineer, who stood gazing upon us, exclaimed, "Ah, boys; you can sing now, but your tune will be altered ere-long!"
This strange announcement, though a riddle at the time of its utterance, soon began to more than verify itself; and often did we repeat the remark, "Well, sure enough, our tune has changed."
Moving along prettily during the day—sometimes floating with the current then again plying oars, —we reached the mouth of Horse creek; and, passing on a short distance, lay to for the night.
The day following we again pushed off; but, after proceeding ten or twelve miles, the water became so shallow, we were compelled to lay by to await a further rise, and struck camp in a small grove of cottonwood upon the right bank of the Platte, a short distance above Scott's Bluff. Here we remained for some two weeks.
The crew of our consort being poorly supplied with provisions, we divided our own with them, and, at the expiration of a few days, were left entirely destitute.
From this on, we were dependent solely upon such game as chance threw in our way, —sometimes starving for two or three days, and then feasting for a like interval, upon the products of successful hunting.
To us was a tedious lot, —there being no game in the country, save perchance a few straggling bulls, and they rarely within less distance than ten or twelve miles. Our hunting excursions often led further than that, and when we were so fortunate as to kill, the proceeds were borne upon our backs to camp. We became so accustomed to packing, in this manner, it was thought no extra burthen for an individual to carry upwards of a hundred pounds of fresh meat at a single load, some ten or twelve successive miles, over an open, sandy prairie, and beneath the scorching rays of an almost vertical sun.
So far from regarding it a task, we esteemed it a pleasure, and were glad to appease the cravings of appetite even at so small a sacrifice of comfort and convenience.
The reason for the scarcity of all kinds of game in the vicinity of the river at this time, was the recent burning of the prairie upon both sides, for many miles back,
leaving not even the vestige of vegetation for the subsistence of any graminivorous animals.
This we found to be the case nearly the entire distance to the forks.
During the latter part of our stay at this camp, it rained almost incessantly; we also encountered a severe snow storm.
The winds were usually high, and frequently blew with hurricane-violence.
