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24 our determined position and the knowledge that we were well armed and would fight desperately kept them in check. On the following morning resumed our journey suffered some this day from the want of water and the sandy road. I think by this time the company wished we had taken the old and well known road along the Platte River in the afternoon of this day we met some Arapahoes Indians we were now in their country they appeared to be very friendly and we traded some with them. I purchased a Buffalo skin from one of them for a unclear cup of Sugar it was a splendid hide full size and worth ten dollars in Chicago to night unclear camped within thirty miles of Denver City and according to our calculations of distance 750 miles from St. Joe. When we camped in the evening several of the Indians came round our camp for the purpose of trading after a while some of our party started some games of activity and strength to see if the Indians could beat us but in every feat the white man excelled except for the single one of on horseback, running, jumping, shooting with the rifle and in throwing weight the white man was superior. But the Indian could perform some astonishing feats on horseback one was riding on one side of his horse so that we who were standing one hundred yards distant could not say whether he was on the horses back or not, another one was laying three stones down on the road, about twenty yards apart and then the Indian would gallop towards them pick up one stone sit erect on his horse again turn over on the side of his horse just holding on by one toe and one hand pick up the second on and so on with the third all done in an instant so fast that the eye could scarcely follow his movements he rode in triumphantly with the three stones in his hands.