"We are going to have a rough night of it, a force and energy that made us fain to bow our Lieutenant." "Why so?" I asked. "I have crossed these plains seven times," was the reply, "and never before have I felt the air so hot and stifling. We shall see a prairie storm, and no common one at that, before our guard is ended." heads and cower before the gale as if Azrael himself had ridden upon the blast. And thus for two mortal hours did the tempest rage and the wild wind continue to do its work; while the rain, accompanied by hail, came down in torrents, saturating the thirsty earth until even the parched prairie could contain no more, and its overflowing waters gathered in great pools upon our camping-ground, in which we, the soaked camp guard, having arrived at that highly satisfactory hydropathic state in which one can be no wetter, stood at length with a proud consciousness that the water, so far as ourselves personally were concerned, had done its worst. I had barely time to remark the almost suffocating closeness of the atmosphere when a low, muttering sound seemed to verify his words; while the plaintive moan of the fitful night-wind, as it swept gustily along, seemed more like the wail of some restless spirit than the sighing of a mid-summer's breeze. Half an hour might have passed away, when, as I stood leaning upon my rifle indulging in the sombre fancies suggested by the deepening gloom, I was startled by a sharp, sudden flash of the most vivid lightning I ever remember to have seen. For a moment our corrals and the surrounding prairie were brought out with a distinctness that rendered even the most minute objects clearly visible; and then, as they relapsed into a blackness which, by comparison, appeared even darker than before, one tremendous peal, the signal-gun of the advancing storm, rent the air, making the very earth tremble beneath the shock. This was succeeded by a brief interval of repose, whose silence seemed, if possible, more terrible than the previous uproar; and then the thunder burst forth with re-uous, and evidently comes nearer." doubled violence, not in that low, grumbling tone which we are wont to hear when it wakes the echoes of some far mountain side, but with But the incidents of this eventful night were not yet ended. Though the fury of the storm was past, we were destined to witness a new and scarcely less exciting spectacle. By the now increasing light I had observed my companion bending his ear toward the earth as though he had caught some sound which he wished to hear more perfectly; and ere the lips could form the words to put a question, my own ear remarked a faint continuous rumbling which, though hardly perceivable at first, grew more and more distinct as it came swelling up from the southwest. As it continued to increase I asked, "What can that mean? It is certainly not the storm, for that is breaking; besides, the noise is too contin "I know it is not the storm, for neither wind nor the muttering of distant thunder gives out a sound like that," was the quiet reply. "You don't mean to say that it's the trampling of the horses of a band of Indians, do you? This is no time for even a Comanche to be abroad, and neither gunpowder nor bow-strings would do their work properly to-night." "Never mind what it is, Lieutenant, we can do no manner of good here; and if it is what I think, a thousand men would no more stay their progress than one of Jake Hawkins's rifles could fail to shoot centre in a mountain man's hands." By this time we had reached the mouth of the corral, where my companion examined the fastening of the chain which secured its entrance, muttering, as he did so, "It ain't no use; iron won't stop them if they head this way." The tempest, as I have already remarked, had abated; and as if to light up the strange, and, withal, somewhat fearful sight which we were about to witness, the stars began to struggle out from the fast-dissolving cloud-banks. Glancing in the direction from whence the first alarm had come, I had no longer any need to ask its meaning; for I beheld, toward the southwest, a dark mass of living creatures advancing across the prairie with the rapidity of a horse at speed, but so compactly, and with so uniform a movement, that but for the trampling of the myriads of hoofs, which seemed to shake the very ground on which we stood, I should hardly have supposed, by that uncertain light, that a countless herd of buffalo were stampeding before the storm;* but so it was, and fortunately for us their leaders took a course which brought this tremendous drove within some ten or fifteen yards of our encampment instead of dashing them against our wagons. Had they done otherwise, the trepidation which our presence would have excited among the foremost could have been of no avail, as the weight of the frightened mass, who were pressing close upon their rear, would inevitably have forced them forward, and brought the herd, willing or unwilling, into contact with our corrals. For nearly an hour the buffaloes continued to pass by. I have no words to do justice to the scene. I must therefore leave it to the imagination of the reader to fill up the details of so unusual a spectacle. Let him fancy the uproar of their deep bellowings-the shock of their heavy hoofs-the wild night-the recently storm-swept prairie-the starlit sky, with its hurrying clouds-and, lastly, the certainty of their doing us a mischief should they change their course-and I think that he will agree with me when I say that, taking it all in all, the romance of the thing being duly considered, I have but little liking for such midnight cattleshows, and should much prefer to take their singularity for granted than to witness it personally for the second time. Between the Cimarron and the crossing of the Arkansas lies a long arid stretch or journada; and as no water is to be found upon the trail, it becomes necessary to prepare the caravan previously to its setting out for encountering the difficulties of what, in prairie parlance, is usually termed a " water-scrape." With a view to such contingencies each wagon is, when properly equipped, provided with a five-gallon waterkeg, which is, or ought to be, filled just before starting. In the present instance, as the pull would be a heavy one and the day was excessively hot, the wagon-masters determined to make the greater part of the distance by moonlight, or starlight if no moonshine could be had. We did not therefore leave camp until early in the afternoon, when, in compliance with the order to "stretch out," I once more mounted Bucephalus and jogged soberly along, meeting for days with no special incident. The first rays of the morning sun were glittering upon the broad bosom of the shallow Arkansas as our leading wagons entered the stream. It was a pleasant sight to gaze upon withal, for here at last was something tangible. I stood at length upon the banks of a tributary to the "Great Father of Waters;" and as the pleased eye beheld the gliding of its tide, I almost fancied myself in a civilized land, when-just my luck-down comes Bucephalus, who banishes my day-dreams with a vengeance by precipitating me neck and heels into the very waters which I had been so gladly contemplating. I had been brought down from my high horse in more respects than one, and gained the opposite bank in a very matter-of-fact mood, where, with teeth chattering in my head, I straightway fell to moralizing upon the uncertainty of stumbling horses, and the vanity of building castles in the air. It was therefore with no slight degree of gratification that I heard our "wagon-master" direct his teamsters to "drive up and corral;" which being done, I managed to secure a blanket, and, having shrouded myself therein, notified "Nigga Bill," our man of all work, that he would, at his own personal peril, permit any man to disturb my slumbers, unless, indeed, the Comanches should make an inroad into the camp, and not even then if he could help it. I am inclined to believe that my nap that morning would have astonished the "Seven Sleepers" had those worthy gentlemen been present and wakeful enough to have appreciated my performances. Be this as it may, I slept like a dormouse in winter-quarters until the full vigor of the mid-day sun convinced me that my covering was somewhat of the warmest; whereupon I went through the usual preparatory formula of yawnings, extension movements, and other matters of that sort, and then It is no uncommon thing for not only buffalo, but even the caballadas of the traders, to "stampede," or fly-awoke outright. before the heavy gales which sweep the bosom of the As I raised myself into a sitting posture upon Great Prairies. This is particularly the case when, at my blanket my ear was attracted by a gradually times, these tempests are accompanied by hail, to escape increasing sound which soon resolved itself into which the buffalo, when in a wooded country, invariably make for the timbers, even though it should be far distant the roll of an approaching train, and ere long from their feeding-ground. the snowy tops of some sixty-odd heavy mule wagons made their appearance above the ridge, through whose undulations lay the road which we had yet to travel. Having halted their caravan, the strangers next proceeded to make camp in our vicinity: but as a meeting with a train had been an event of almost daily occurrence since our departure from the Mora, I felt no particular interest in regard to the new-comers until some time after they had "corraled;" when one of our party, who had "been visiting," informed me that these wagons were, for the most part, owned by that singularly enterprising Santa Fé trader, Aubrey, who was then accompanying them. Now as "Little Aubrey" had become almost as familiar an appellation among Western men as a Jake Hawkins's rifle, I determined to go over and pay my respects forthwith. So, after making a hasty toilet in true prairie style-which is much like that of a Newfoundland dog, by giving yourself a succession of shakes-I took my rifle (always a wise precaution upon the Plains) and started for the fires of our new neighbors. Upon reaching their corral I found Aubrey, with a few of his friends, seated upon the ground, where they were encircling a gaudy serapa, which had just been stretched out as a diningtable for the traders. Having been introduced to Aubrey, who invited me to join their party, and "take prairie fare, if I could eat fat cow," I made myself perfectly at home by sitting down forthwith and securing a fair share of "elbowroom," while black Juba, Aubrey's sable valet, supplied me with the instruments for the coming onslaught upon the cookery. The dinner equipage was of the plainest, being nothing more than a three-legged iron pot, while to each guest was allotted a tin cup, a pewter soup-plate, and accessories to match. In this latter respect, however, the demand upon black Juba was slight, as most of the gentlemen brought their own tools with them. You may talk about your venison and your South Down mutton, but let me assure you that when our host's black boy opened that same three-legged iron pot, with a flourish which would have done honor to the best-drilled waiter of a fashionable hotel, I would not have exchanged the savory smell-to say nothing of the substance of that buffalo-stew-for all your nick-nacks. In mountain parlance "Buffler meat ain't bad, 'specially fat cow, and hump-ribs at that-well, it ain't." We cleared our dishes till black Jake fell into a profuse perspiration, and exhausted nature could achieve no more; and then sunk back upon our blankets to enjoy our brandy-and-water (for few men are teetotalers if they can help it when west of the Council Grove), and watch the airy smoke-wreaths as they went circling upward from some of the very best cigars which had crossed my lip since our departure from Los Angeles. "Little Aubrey," like my friend Kit Carson whose portrait, as he appeared when I knew him, is herewith given-is (alas that I should now say was) a man of medium stature and slender proportions, with keen eyes, iron nerve, great resolution, and indomitable perseverance. As a Western pioneer he has done much which would be well worthy of mention, but I shall re Your sincere friend b: barson erse the whole Santa Fé trail, most of which is dangerous on account of Indians. Having laid his plans and announced his scheme, Aubrey then undertook to convince his unbelieving friends, by offering to wager a considerable sum that he would come in within his time. Now as a bet, particularly with the "money up," seldom goes a begging in New Mexico, it was not long ere some confident individual expressed his willingness to "size" Aubrey's "pile;" and as one wager begets another, the subject became a fashionable point to differ upon, and many were the boots, and numerous the hats, to say nothing of the "tens" and "twenties" which were hazarded upon Aubrey's "intentions." At length all was ready, and the trader, with a few companions and a small but carefully-selected caballada, set out upon their trip. They rode hard, but the leader outstripped his men, and by the time that Aubrey had reached the "Crossing of the Arkansas," which is generally considered about half-way, he found himself, with his last horse given out, alone, and on foot. Nothing daunted, however, he pushed on, and reached Mann's Fort, some 15 or 20 miles from the ford. Here he procured a remount, and then, without waiting to rest, or scarcely to break his fast, he departed and once more took the trail. Near Pawnee Fork he was pursued, and had a narrow escape from a party of Indians, who followed him to the creek; but finally he entered the village of he himself had specified. It is said that, upon being assisted from the saddle, it was found to be stained with his blood. late but one of his adventurous feats-his aston- | Independence within less than the time which ishing ride from Santa Fé to Independence, in Missouri, a distance of 780 miles, which he accomplished during the early summer of 1848, in the incredibly short period of less that eight successive days. The circumstances are as follows: Aubrey had come out, early in the spring of 1848, with a large amount of goods to Santa Fé. As the American troops were then in possession of the country, our merchants, relieved from the interference of those unscrupulous plunderers, the Mexican custom-house officers, found increased competition but greater facilities for their trade. Business was therefore "looking up," and Aubrey found no difficulty in getting rid of his stock, at an advance which netted him, as stated, over 100 per cent. upon his original investment. Knowing the favorable state of the market, and the description of merchandise best suited to its wants, our trader determined to attempt a hitherto unheard of enterprise, by making a second trip to St. Louis, and bringing out another stock before the cold weather should embarrass the communication between Santa Fé and the Settlements. To accomplish this Aubrey allowed himself but eight days to trav Upon the day following the passage of the Arkansas we halted near Mann's Fort, a little government post, or half-way dépôt, then garrisoned by a handful of volunteers, who drank corn whisky, consumed Uncle Sam's bacon and hard tack, drew their pay with undeviating regularity, and otherwise wore out their lives in the service of their country. In the mean time these doughty warriors dispelled their ennui by chasing buffalo, or sallying forth to scout up and down, with a general understanding that they were to quarrel with the Comanches if they could catch them-a combination of circumstances which, as it requires two parties to make a bargain, occurred but seldom. If I recollect rightly, it was in this vicinity that my attention was attracted by the skeletons of so large a number of mules that I was induced to institute some inquiry in regard to them. Upon doing so I learned that a year or two before some unfortunate trader, in endeavoring to make the trip after the cold weather had set in, lost, by freezing, 120 of his caballada in a single night-an event which obliged him to leave his wagons, which, as I have understood, were afterward discovered and burned by the savages. Since then it has "become fashionable" with the idle teamsters, while encamped near the spot, to amuse themselves by arranging and rearranging these disjointed bones into separate heaps. When I last saw them the leg-bones were laid in rows, having been placed with great regularity, while the skulls formed a ghastly circle upon the ground. It was late in the afternoon of a sultry day in August when we encamped upon the borders of a stream known as the Pawnee Fork of the Arkansas. When we reached it its waters were at their lowest stage, being scarcely knee-deep at the ford; but our wagon-master concluded not to cross until the ensuing day-a rather unwise procedure in frontier traveling, where the most approved rule is, "Pass a river while you can." In this instance our departure from so prudent a maxim was bitterly regretted by all who felt any anxiety to reach the Settlements. For though the sun set brightly, the deepening twilight brought freshening winds and gloomy clouds, the forerunners of a storm, whose pouring torrents drenched us to the skin, and threatened our devoted camp with a renewal of the deluge upon a small scale. Nor was it until high noon of the following day that the sun peeped out from his misty wrappings to dry our wagon-covers and promise a cessation of the rain. But alas! for our future prospects, the modest stream of yesterday was now a full-grown river, white with eddying bubbles, and so swollen with its new-born importance that it went roaring and blustering along, tossing the driftwood hither and thither, picking noisy quarrels with the gnarled roots of venerable trees, and altogether comporting itself like a mad, headstrong brawler of a torrent as it was. As any attempt to cross it in its then agitated condition was a thing not to be thought of, we resigned ourselves to our ill-fortune with what philosophy we might, and, having located a water-mark, retired to our camp to wait until "something should turn up," or, which would be equally satisfactory under the circumstances, till the waters should go down. As we would be stationary for that day at least, I tried to while away the time by taking my gun and sallying forth with the hope of killing something which might diversify the monotony of bacon and hard bread. With this praiseworthy desire I walked down the river, following the windings of the stream until having gained a sufficient offing from our fires, when I left it abruptly, intending to make a considerable detour, and then return to the water at some point yet lower down. So far as game was concerned, this tramp of mine proved any thing but a successful one; for, save a prowling wolf and a dismal-featured owl, I regained the river without encountering any thing which would justify the expenditure of a cartridge. Upon once more nearing its banks I remarked a strong and almost overpowering stench, which grew more terrible as I advanced. Curious to discover the cause I pushed on, the expostulations of my olfactories to the contrary notwithstanding, and found the swollen stream to be literally filled with the bloated and putrid carcasses of decay |