It proved that after following the emigrant train a
short distance they had taken to the hills. The country was a sea
of sagebrush, and frequently we would start a jack-rabbit or
antelope that we would have been pleased to roast for supper, but
dared not shoot.
When near the top of a hill I would dismount, and leaving my horse
with Meyers, would crawl to the summit of the hill and peep over
in order to discover whether or not the Indians were in sight, and
then return, mount my horse and ride at a rapid gait until near
the top of another hill, when the same maneuver would be repeated.
At last we came to a sharp ridge and I dismounted. I remarked that
if we did not find those Indians soon we would have to make
another dry camp that night. It was now nearly sunset, and on
crawling to the top of the ridge and looking down on a nice little
valley not more than a half-mile distant, I saw that they had just
gone into camp and had not yet got all their ponies unpacked.
I had a good chance to make a rough estimate of their number,
which I thought to be about two hundred warriors.
I rushed back to Meyers and told him that I had located them, and
that one of us would have to ride back to headquarters that night
and report, and asked him whether he would rather go or stay and
watch the Indians.
"Why not both go," he asked.
I told him that by the time the cavalry could get there the
Indians might be gone, and one of us must stay and see where they
went to.
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