The horse that gave out on Sunday, having been since both packed and rode, this afternoon sunk under his rider to the ground, and resisted our efforts to induce him to rise. As he appeared to be entirely exhausted, we reluctantly abandoned him. He had been a sprightly, handsome, and serviceable animal, and was chosen from a considerable number of horses, and presented to Mr. Say, by Major O'Fallon, when at the Pawnee villages.
After a day's journey of twenty-two miles, a favourable situation for an encampment offering timely at a site which appeared to have been occupied by a tribe of Indians during the late winter, induced us to pitch the tents, and prepare for the night. And Lieutenant Swift, whose dexterity as a marksman had previously relieved us in times of need, now succeeded in killing a turkey for our evening meal.
Wednesday, 30th. We pursued the path about ten miles farther, with the hope of its soon terminating at some Indian village; but as it continued to diverge too widely from our apparent true course, we once again relinquished it, and turned towards the river, which we expected to regain in the course of a few miles, by tracing down the opposite bank of a large ravine, which now presented itself.
At our resting place of noon the banded rattlesnake (C. horridus) occurred, and five young turkies were procured by the hunters.
Resuming our journey, it soon became obvious that the ravine we were tracing did not discharge into the Arkansa, but into some large tributary of that river, and which, from an elevated ground, we could distinctly see meandering to a great distance on the left.[121] Another Indian path was now discovered, which by its direction seemed to comply with our proper course. It led us to recross the ravine, { 98} with its most luxuriant growth of trees, bushes, and weeds. On emerging from this intricate maze we observed a large column of smoke arising in the south-east, as if from the conflagration of some entire prairie. This occurrence, combined with the effects of a large _burning_ in the vicinity of our evening encampment, that seemed very recent, and the appearance of the well-worn pathways, inspired us with a renewed expectation of soon meeting with human beings, and of arriving at some permanent Indian village.