should not be further molested. We now set busily to work
to form our camp, to cut wood for our fire, keeping, notwithstanding our
success, a vigilant watch on all sides. It was possible that other
bands of Indians might be on the western bank of the river and that we
should still have to fight our way to the fort.

The night passed tranquilly by, and the next morning we proceeded as
before. The apparently boundless prairie stretched out ahead, covered
chiefly with long grass and here and there small bushes, which the
buffalo and deer had allowed to struggle into existence. We advanced as
rapidly as we could, steering by the compass, the scenery monotonous in
the extreme, not a hill to be seen to break the wide circle of the
horizon. One advantage was that we could not be taken by surprise, as
we could see for a long distance any enemy which might approach us. We
found numberless skeletons of buffaloes as well as their wallows, though
we had not hitherto fallen in with any to which we might give chase.

Mr Tidey and I were, as usual, leading ahead, taking care always to
keep the train in view. Every now and then he stood up in his stirrups,
in the hopes of seeing buffalo, but no buffalo appeared. We, however,
after proceeding about a dozen miles from the river, saw away to the
left, over a wide extent of ground, a number of small hillocks, which,
had I been on foot, I might have mistaken for a range of hills in the
distance. As it would not take us much out of our way, we rode towards
them, when, as we approached we saw to our surprise that the top of
every mound was occupied either by a small animal or a bird of an
owl-like appearance, which appeared to be watching the rest of the
community, employed in cropping the grass or running about in the
immediate neighbourhood.

As the little creatures perceived us, they rushed to their look-out
station at the top of the mounds, while at the same moment a number of
small heads popped up from holes in the ground, and we were saluted by a
chorus of sharp, angry barks, while the animals shook their sides and
wagged their tails at every bark, as if they would wag them off; then,
having thus exhibited either their pleasure or fear--it was difficult to
say which--uttering a fresh volley of barks, they rushed headlong into
their burrows, wagging their tails to the last as they disappeared
beneath the surface. The little owls, however, kept their posts and
regarded us with