On the Border with Crook

ISBN-10: 1230269282
ISBN-13: 9781230269283
Series: On the Border with Crook
Pages: 192
Language: English
Published: 2013-09
Publisher: Theclassics.Us
Author: John Gregory Bourke

Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891 edition. Excerpt: ...of water, and the whole distance out from Fort Laramie presented no serious objections on that score. In the " Twin Springs," "Horse-shoe" Creek, "Cave" Springs, "Elk Horn" Creek, "Lake Bonte," "Wagon Hound," " Bed-tick," and "Whiskey Gulch" a supply, greater or less in quantity, dependent upon season, could generally be found. Much of the soil was a gypsiferons red clay; in all the gulches and ravines were to be seen stunted pine and cedar. The scenery was extremely monotonous, destitute of herbage, except buffalo grass and sage brush. An occasional buffalo head, bleaching in the sun, gave a still more ghastly tone to the landscape. Every few minutes a prairie dog projected his head above the entrance of his domicile and barked at our cortege passing by. Among the officers and soldiers of the garrison at Fort Fetterman, as well as among those who were reporting for duty with the expedition, the topics of conversation were invariably the probable strength and position of the enemy, the ability of horses and men to bear the extreme cold to which they were sure to be subjected, and other matters of a kindred nature which were certain to suggest themselves. There, for example, was the story, accepted without question, that the Sioux had originally shown a very friendly spirit toward the Americans passing across their country to California, until on one occasion a man offered grievous wrong to one of the young squaws, and that same evening the wagon-train with which he was travelling was surrounded by a band of determined warriors, who quietly expressed a desire to have an interview with the criminal. The Americans gave him up, and the Sioux skinned him alive; hence the name of " Raw Hide Creek," the place where this incident occurred....