I had seen many heavy storms, but I assure you I thought we had entered the store-house of thunder-storms when we came into this valley; for such terrible rumbling and glaring I had never heard nor seen. I tell you, when the thunder bursts forth with an earthquake shock and reverberates among the river-hills, and the lightning begins to play upon the cattle’s horns, these old hunters and herders, who have been hardened in the wilds for many years and who have seen the bloodiest of frontier life, come to their knees. Leaving this valley we steered south-west and struck the valley of the _Republican_, at the forks of the river, one beautiful evening just as the sun was tinging with gold the western sky. Who can imagine the _beauty_ of this valley,--as it appeared to us,--all decked with little branching cotton-wood trees and carpeted with velvet green, winding its way through the midst of the broad and silent wilderness. The great herds of cattle reclining beneath the trees, the voices of the little calves borne to our ears upon the evening zephyrs, and the rude shanty upon the bank of the stream, all spoke of comfort and content, and we could not help recognizing this as a _happy home_, though far in the western wilds. The lone man who lived there appeared to be glad to see us, and we were not a little delighted to converse with one who had lived with his herds for many years upon the frontier. He told us how comfortably he could live there and how rapid were his gains with so little outlay. He told us that we could find cow-ranches upon almost every _stream in the West_, and explained to us the way the business was carried on. Upon his telling us there were many buffaloes a few days’ journey to the north-west, among the _sand-hills_, we became very impatient and could hardly wait for the morning to start upon a buffalo expedition. When we were ready to start, he said we should be a little _careful_, for the _Cheyennes_ had broken from the agency, and while on the war-path were scalping hunters and cattle-men in all directions. Johnny having stopped for a _home_ in _eastern Nebraska_, we were but two in number, but--in our estimation--a more precious two never died in any country. There was as much danger upon one side as upon the other, however, and we were going for the buffaloes, Indians or no Indians. It was part of our _mission_ to kill Sitting Bull and Spotted Tail, and this might prove to be a favorable opportunity.