bank from the ford our team broke loose and wagon and team backed into the river. Being swept below the ford, the team swam and the wagon sank down, and was drifting on the sand; and I remember the water came rushing into the wagon box to my waist, compelling me to scramble up on to the top of a trunk or something of the kind. But several men came to our assistance immediately, and swimming, held up the wagon, and soon assisted us to the shore. Probably this was at the fording of the North Platte.
It seems to me now that the next point of note on our route was Fort Bridger, but I do not call to mind the appearance of the buildings or anything happening thereabout, unless it was the great number of Sioux Indians I saw either at this fort or at Laramie. I saw several very pretty squaws with cheeks painted red, wearing beaded moccasins and beautiful red leggings, fringed along the outer seams. Some of them had papooses almost white and very pretty. Some were wives of white men at the fort, and some belonged to the great war party I saw there mustering to fight the Blackfeet. As I remember this army of Sioux warriors, they were all mounted on nice horses, bucks and squaws all painted about the face, and armed with bows and arrows encased in quivers slung at the back. Some had spears, some war clubs, but no guns, or if any, very few. This war party, as I see the picture now, looking back sixty years, marching or halting in close array, covered several acres of prairie. It was a gay and savage looking host, and sometimes when a squadron of those warriors would break away from the main body and come toward us shouting the war whoop, urging their ponies at full speed, I thought it a grand display indeed, although I fancied I could feel the hair rise on my head. Several of the Amazons of this war party visited our encampment. They were dressed and painted and armed like the men. Some of them were very fine of figure, had pretty faces, and eyes as soft and bright as the antelopes on those wild plains. They were all young women, and as I thought made love to our young men with their eyes like city damsels, but in the excitement of battle I suppose they became very furies and those lovely eyes flashed fire. Their small, shapely hands and small feet clad in beaded moccasins were admired even by our women, and I fear our
