Not long had I to submit to such torture. Our stay in Van Buren was of the shortest. In less than twenty hours after our arrival in the village, we took our departure from it--turning our faces towards the almost limitless wilderness of the west. I had endeavoured to add to our company but without success. The caravan had cleared Van Buren of its unemployed population; and not an idler remained--at least not one who felt inclined to adventure with us. Even the needy "loafer" could not be induced to try the trip--deeming ours too dangerous an expedition. To say the least, it was reckless enough; but impelled by motives far more powerful than the thirst of gold, my comrade and I entered upon our journey with scarce a thought about its perils. The only addition to our company was a brace of stout pack-mules, that carried our provisions and other _impedimenta_; while the old horse of the hunter had been replaced by a more promising roadster. It would be idle to detail the incidents of a journey across the prairies. Ours differed in no way from hundreds of others that have been made, and described--except, perhaps, that after reaching the buffalo range, we travelled more by night than by day. We adopted this precaution simply to save our scalps--and along with them our lives-- since the buffalo range--especially upon the Arkansas--is peculiarly the "stamping" ground of the hostile savage. Here may be encountered the Pawnee and Comanche, the Kiowa and Cheyenne, the Waco and fierce Arapaho. Though continually engaged in internecine strife among themselves, all six tribes are equally enemies to the pale-faced intruders on their domain. At this time they were said to be especially hostile--having been irritated by some late encounters with parties, of ill-behaved emigrants. It was not without great peril, therefore, that we were passing through their territory; and what we had heard, before leaving Van Buren, had made us fully conscious of the risk we were running. To meet with one of the hunting or war-parties of these Indians, might not be certain death; but certain they would be to disarm and _dismount_ us; and that, in the midst of the great prairie ocean, is a danger that often conducts to the same _denouement_. It was not preference, then, but precaution, that led us to adopt the "secret system" of travelling by night. Our usual plan was to lie by during the day or for the greater part of it, concealed in some selected cover--either among rocks or copsewood. By stealing to a conspicuous eminence, we were enabled to view the route ahead of us, and map out our journey for the night. Upon this we would enter an hour or two before sundown: for then the Indian hunter has returned to his encampment, which can be easily avoided, by seeing its smoke from afar. We often saw their smokes, and more than once the Indians themselves; but were never seen by them--so cautiously did we carry out our measures.