.MTAxOA.NjczOTA

7snow

him and ^[his] party at the new park. We remained trapping in the park for Some time and then through the plains of Laramie, and on to the south fork of the Platte and from there on to the Arkansas River. On our arrival on the ArKansas Gaunt? took the Beaver we had caught to Taos, the party meanwhile remained where they were. The Beaver was disposed of, the necessaries for our camp were purchased and in the course of two months Garrett? reformed us. We trapped on the waters of the ArKansas until the rivers began to freeze, and then went into winter quarters on the main stream. During the cold winter we passed a pleasant time. The snow was very deep and we had no difficulty in processing as much Buffalo meat as we required. In January a party of men had been out hunting and returned about dusk. Their horses were very poor having been fed during the winter on cotton wood bark. They turned them out to gather such nourishment as they could, that night a band of about fifty Crow Indians came to our camp and stole nine of the horses that were loose. In the morning we discovered sign of the Indians and twelve of us took the trail and traveled some forty miles, it was getting late, our animals were fatigued by the course over which we had come the snow was deep, and as many herds of Buffalo had passed during the day we were able to follow this trail only with at length a great deal of difficulty At a distance of two or three miles we noticed a grove of timber taking into consideration the condition of our animals we concluded to make for it and to camp for the night. On our arrival however we saw fires some four miles ahead of us. We thereupon tied our horses to trees, and as soon as it became dusk took a circuitous route for the Indians camp. We planned