Page:On the border with Crook - Bourke - 1892.djvu/390

 whose crevices the Sioux had deposited various propitiatory offerings, and upon whose face had been graven figures and symbols of fanciful and grotesque outline.

In following the main trail of the enemy it seemed as if we were on a newly cut country road; when we reached a projecting hill of marl and sandy clay, the lodge poles had cut into the soft soil to such an extent that we could almost believe that we were on the line of work just completed, with pick, spade, and shovel, by a gang of trained laborers. Trout were becoming scarce in this part of the Tongue, but a very delicious variety of the "cat" was caught and added to the mess to the great delight of the epicure members. The rain had increased in volume, and rarely an hour now passed without its shower. One night, while sitting by what was supposed to be our camp-fire, watching the sputtering flames struggling to maintain life against the down-pouring waters, I heard my name called, and as soon as I could drag my sodden, sticky clothes through a puddle of mud I found myself face to face with Sam Hamilton, of the Second, whom I had not seen since we were boys together in the volunteer service in the Stone River campaign, in 1862. It was a very melancholy meeting, each soaked through to the skin, seated alongside of smoking embers, and chilled to the marrow, talking of old times, of comrades dead, and wondering who next was to be called.

The Indian trail led down the Tongue for some miles before it turned east up the "Four Horn" Creek, where we followed it, being rewarded with an abundance of very fine grama, called by our scouts the "Two-Day" grass, because a bellyful of it would enable a tired horse to travel for two days more. An Indian puppy was found abandoned by its red-skinned owners, and was adopted by one of the infantry soldiers, who carried it on his shoulders. Part of this time we were in "Bad Lands," infested with rattlesnakes in great numbers, which our Shoshones lanced with great glee. It was very interesting to watch them, and see how they avoided being bitten: three or four would ride up within easy distance of the doomed reptile and distract its attention by threatening passes with their lances; the crotalus would throw itself into a coil in half a second, and stay there, tongue darting in and out, head revolving from side to side, leaden eyes scintillating with the glare of the diamond, ready to strike venomous fangs into any one coming within reach. The