Leaving our new-found friends, we continued on for a few miles, and halted a brief interval under the shade of a cottonwood grove. While thus reclining upon
the green grass, what was our surprise at seeing three Indians, who appeared suddenly in our midst extending their hands to greet us!
They belonged to a war-party of Chyennes, —had been to the Pawnees, and were now on their return, with three horses captured from the enemy.
Continuing our course, towards sundown I began to find my rifle rather cumbersome, and, yielding to the advice of all hands, threw it away.
Having travelled till late at night, we laid ourselves down in the trail for repose;—the musquetoes, however, together with the heat, were so annoying, sleep was impossible.
I never in my life before was so tortured by these relentless persecutors. Their sting was far more tolerable to me than the unending hum of their music. To exterminate them was a hopeless task, for, at the death of one, fifty would come to its funeral, —and to submit quietly to their rapacity and be eaten up alive by such loving friends, was more than human flesh and blood could endure.
For three hours I lay, sweltered by the heat and pierced by the hungry myriads that swarmed around, until my agony became so great it obtained the mastery of reason, and I was scarcely self-conscious whether a being of earth or an inhabitant of the realms of woe.
In the height of my phrenzy I fancied four demons had hold of the extremities of my robe, and were fiercely dragging me over a prairie of sharp rocks, that tore my flesh at every bound. The remainder of the party suffered equally with myself, and none of them were permitted to close their eyes that night.
June 29th. We started at early day, and pursued our journey till ten o'clock, which brought us to the foot of Grand Island, —a distance of sixty miles from the place of our adventure with the Indians during the previous afternoon. Here we indulged in a slight repast, and, reclining upon the grass, enjoyed a few hours' sleep, despite the continued annoyance of musquetoes.
On arousing to resume the painful march, our legs were found in a very unenviable plight, and almost refused to sustain the accustomed burthen. Our feet, also, (softened and made tender by the mollifying effects of the water, to which they had been so long familiar, and, unused to the offices now newly forced upon them,) were sore and swollen to a frightful size. From this on, our journey was most intensely painful.
But, notwithstanding all, we were compelled to keep moving, though our progress seemed more like the passage of Mahomet's "bridge of swords" than aught else imaginable.
July 2d. This morning our stock of provisions was entirely exhausted, and yet a long distance intervened between us and the settlements.
Towards night, however, chance brought us in the way of a plentiful supper, by our encountering the Pawnee village on its way to the buffalo range. We were entertained by the head chief in a hospitable manner, who furnished us bountifully with boiled corn and mush; and
