"There is one thing concerning the Platte River worthy of note. It is much of the way a mile in width, generally covered with water, but very shallow. When the south wind blows hard, the water all rushes to the north shore so that one would suppose that there was a great rise in the tide. When the wind shifts to the north, the water immediately recedes from the north shore until one can walk across two-thirds of the river on bare ground. Thus the river constantly ebbs and flows like a tide. "Early on the morning of the 14th, I went out to hunt buffaloes and returned to breakfast and started out again with Phineas Young. I was lost among the bluffs, but after a time, found my way out again. Brother Phineas shot a buck antelope which I carried into camp. All told, three antelopes and one {285} buffalo were killed. Some of the hunters thought they heard Indian guns during the night on the opposite side of the river. An Indian had gone up to a pair of mules that were tied together and grabbed at them, but the mules sprang back and got out of the way. One of the guards shot at him and he ran. All the horses were then brought into the circle of our camp and the cannon prepared, but no Indian being seen, it was not fired." Such a large company would naturally be conspicuous to the Indians, and no doubt the sound of music in those solitary regions attracted them, as the camp was often animated in the evening by the sounds of music from all parts. On the morning of the 15th, bear foot tracks were seen in large numbers. That day the distance covered was only eight miles. This short distance was due in part to the difficulty encountered in crossing over the numerous bluffs along the river. In those regions there was nothing to break the cold, raw winds that came from the north. Civilization had not then set up its wind breaks, and the winds made the climate often quite disagreeable away into the month of May.