nto the vast herds upon which they depended for meat. The
Indians were well armed, well mounted, and determined. Custer, with the
Seventh Cavalry, was ranging the Platte valley, and the country between
it and the Republican, so that, in that vicinity, Indians were becoming
scarce. South of that, however, and particularly along the Smoky Hill,
the valley of which General Lyle's expedition was ascending, Indians had
never been more plentiful or troublesome than now.

Every day brought its rumors of murdered settlers, captured
wagon-trains, besieged stage stations, and of the heavily guarded stages
themselves turned back, or only reaching their destinations after fierce
running fights, riddled with bullets, and bearing sad loads of dead and
wounded passengers. Along the entire Smoky Hill route, from the end of
the railroad to Denver, a distance of four hundred miles, were only
three small forts, with garrisons of three or four companies each; and
the strength of these garrisons was constantly weakened by the demand
for escorts to stages and emigrant trains. Thus the exploring expedition
was forced to depend largely on its own resources, and must fight its
way through as best it could. Arms were therefore supplied to all its
members who did not possess them, and, from the outset, a strong camp
guard was posted each night.

At the end of a day's march the wagon-master, or "wagon-boss," who
always rode ahead of the train mounted on a sleek saddle mule, would
select a camping-ground, generally where wood, water, and grass were to
be had, and, turning from the beaten trail, would lead the way to it.
Where he halted the first wagon also stopped. Then he would move on a
short distance, and the second wagon would follow him, until it was
ordered to wheel into line with the first. When all thus occupied their
designated positions, they either formed a semicircle on the bank of the
stream, with their poles pointing inward, were arranged in two parallel
lines facing each other, or, if the place was very much exposed, they
would form a complete circle, with each tongue overlapping the
hind-wheels of the wagon before it.

The minute the train halted, all the stock was unharnessed or unsaddled,
and, under guard of two mounted teamsters, were allowed to graze on the
sweet buffalo grass, within sight of camp, until sunset, when they were
watered and driven in. Then each team was fastened to its own wagon and
given its ration of corn. Al