and half off we crept up to them as near as ten rods and all three of us put a ball in an old bull he made off ran more than a half mile before he showed signes of haveing been hit. we followed him and had the sattisfac- tion of seeing him lay down We got near enough and let him have three more balls and he never tried to rise but yealded up the ghost this was my first attempt at Buffalo hunting We skined up a place took out a few pounds of the best stake and returned to camp at noon we went after them on foot and was tired traveling over these sand bluffs on coming to camp it was all excitement and we soon had a party of ten to go out and bring in the Meat We found a hurd near by the one we shot and could not deny ourselves the pleasure of one charge we started and our horses entered into the spirit of the chase and we were soon along side of a mighty herd full five hundred darting over the prara at full speed such feelings of delight I never realized before Brother Fred had the pleasure of one charge mounted on an Indian poney on fireing the horses turned as though they were trained to the chase after loading four mules with the best of the meat we left well satisfied with our first attempt.
Monday June 2^th This morning we were moveing in season mules well rested we came to the crossing of the South fork of the Platte river at eliven oclock we baited an hour and commenced to cross the stream here was full a mile wide this crossing is a new one and 20 miles below where Bryant crossed^ the afternoon was spent in getting our teems over haveing to lighten considerable and packed it over on horses and mules the quick sand and deep places rendered it almost impossible for the teem to draw we camped on the opposite side of the river without wood and verry few chips this evening the Verginia company are crossing and a government waggon is on the opposite side dis 10 m
Tuesday June 26th. This forenoon we passed up the left bank of the South Fork soon after noon halt we struck the bluffs to cross over to the north fork at the place we crossed to it the two rivers were not more than three miles apart but verry high hills between we camped tonight near the river without wood but plenty of musquitoes
Wednesday June 2'jth Today the road has been some sandy not any- thing of note till just as night several of us started off for some wood a mile distant it proved to be a few willows the worst of wood to burn, we found a spring of cold water three feet deep and such things are a rarity in these parts we drank harty tonight we camp near the river and of all imaginable pests the musquitoes excede all at this place this is the hard- est camp we have had to sleep we expect to be troubled the rest of the way on this river. We have noticed some new kinds of cactus the most most abundant kind is of a pale yellow blossom and they grow in large beds as many as a hundred buds and blossoms on one root distance traveled today 20 miles
