Sometimes Throughout The
Whole Length Of The Journey (A Distance Of 350 Miles) One Does Not
Meet A Single Human Being; Frequently, However, The Route Is Beset By
Arapahoes And Other Unfriendly Tribes; In Which Case The Scalp Of The
Adventurer Is In Imminent Peril.
As to the escort of fifteen or
twenty men, such a force of whites could at that time scarcely be
collected by the whole country; and had the case been otherwise, the
expense of securing them, together with the necessary number of
horses, would have been extremely heavy.
We had resolved, however,
upon pursuing this southward course. There were, indeed, two other
routes from Fort Laramie; but both of these were less interesting,
and neither was free from danger. Being unable therefore to procure
the fifteen or twenty men recommended, we determined to set out with
those we had already in our employ, Henry Chatillon, Delorier, and
Raymond. The men themselves made no objection, nor would they have
made any had the journey been more dangerous; for Henry was without
fear, and the other two without thought.
Shaw and I were much better fitted for this mode of traveling than we
had been on betaking ourselves to the prairies for the first time a
few months before. The daily routine had ceased to be a novelty.
All the details of the journey and the camp had become familiar to
us. We had seen life under a new aspect; the human biped had been
reduced to his primitive condition.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 360 of 486
Words from 95803 to 96055
of 129303
