The Witchita mountains, at the time of our visit, were unex. plored, and known only on the maps by location. Within their lonely walls was an unknown region. These mountains had always been known to be a favorite resort for Indians, as a refuge of the weaker tribes against the attacks of the stronger. Here numbers were of no avail. Skill, agility, and endurance, were the main requisites of defence, According to Indian

tradition, many terrible encounters had taken place in these dark defiles. The bear, the panther, the wild-cat, and the buffalo, made their haunts within its sheltered solitudes. The savage

never, except when driven there.

Mount Scott which we ascended was fourteen hundred feet in height It was the eastern abutment of the range, and rising as did the entire chain, immediately out of a vast surrounding plain, the height was greatly magnified. Towards the west two main ranges extended as far as the eye could reach. The landscape was composed of bold ridges, great piles of boulders, with an occasional valley, small in dimensions, but presenting a beautiful prospect.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

RAMBLES AMONG THE WITCHITAS-A HUNT BY MOONLIGHT-MR. CARR-À HONEY-TREE-RESEARCHES OF THE VOLUNTEERS-A RAT

TLE-SNAKE DEN-A PROLIFIC ARRAPAHOE.

HE following morning we saddled up as soon as the horses were fed. The rain of the previous night had ceased, and the day was clear and bright. The atmosphere fairly sparkled with purity. We rode deeper into the mountains, the Indian guide pointing out a gorge through which we could get around, and proceed back to camp by a different route. According to our guide all the mountain peaks were considered sacred by the Indians. He narrated some miraculous cures accomplished as the reward of a toilsome journey to the summit of Mount Scott. While, in early days, all went there to prolong life, the majority found it a place of sepulture. We took our course by what the guide called the Caddo-trail. It had evidently, not been recently used, as I could see no foot-prints of man or beast. This trail, at all events, led us into what was said by the Indian to be the only pass through the mountains for a distance of thirty miles. On our way we passed the chain of beautiful lakes seen from Mount Scott. They were surrounded by the wildest description of scenery. Perpendicular heights, immense trees, with occasional cascades from their mountain sources pouring over dizzy heights in the foaming abyss below. We saw no fish, though, according to the guide, all the lakes and streams abound in beautiful trout.

As we rode along almost every moment deer and antelope started with terrified expedition from their haunts. Wild tur

keys seemed to be without number. One drove, which we halted to watch passing, not over a hundred yards distant, must have contained three hundred birds. At the summit of a bald ridge, about five miles west of Mount Scott, we halted for a half hour to take a survey of the surrounding country. On the right were several small valleys, in one of which we saw at a distance a herd of beautiful elk. A strong temptation it was to pursue.

A mountain, twenty-three degrees north of west of Mount Scott, distant three miles, I took the liberty of naming Mount Sheridan, after the Commanding General. It was by all means the finest mountain of the range. Its north face was a clear perpendicular height of eight hundred feet, the total being twelve hundred feet. Its crest was composed of towering shafts of granite, split in the most marvellous manner, resembling the teeth of an enormous comb. Across a narrow gorge, and isolated from the main mountain, was a solitary cone of solid rock, which stood out like the sentinel of the mountains. Our Indian guide, pointing to Mount Sheridan, said that was the father, and pointing to Mount Scott, that the eldest brother. This aboriginal geology is not authenticated by any cotemporary authority, though tradition would make it appear so. The mountain lying in the same line of direction was an immense mass of closely packed boulders, and about a thousand feet high. We now turned back, resuming the Caddo-trail, which led us between Mount Sheridan and the detached masses of Mount Scott. An hour's ride over a dark and lonely path we reached the open spaces on the other side.

The number of tracks of all sorts of savage animals was amazing. A fresh bear track we encountered was characterized by one of those sudden explosive sounds on the part of our Indian, which indicated an animal of prodigious size. We found it impossible to track him, and being without a dog had to go on.

A halt of an hour in an open valley, on the south side of the range, was consumed in resting and feeding the animals, after which we set out for camp, arriving several hours after dark.

The more prominent peaks of the Witchitas I was told were often used by the Indians for signaling. Hazen and myself, during our presence on the top of Mount Scott, set fire to the dry grass and branches of the cedar which we could gather. In a very short time the entire summit was in a blaze, alarming the savages for miles around. They seemed to interpret it as the signal of a fearful state of strife.

The mountains derived their name from the Witchitas, who are admitted by the Comanches to have been the first occupants of the country. During our journey we saw but very few buffaloes, when the traces of the animal, particularly the skulls, were so abundant that there was no questioning the fact that not long before they must have subsisted in these luxuriant valleys by tens of thousands. This, the guide explained, was one of the consequences of the war. Such a thing as scarcity never having been known in the country before.

The accounts which we had brought back of the game in the mountains, induced the Commanding General to get up a party of his own a few days after. In addition to the General, were Crosby, Forsyth, and Asch, of the staff, Weir and Yates, of the seventh, and myself. This time we had matters arranged more systematically, taking with us an interpreter, Indian guide, cook, three orderlies, six scouts, and four pack-mules. A heavy fog prevailed the morning we started. The party become scattered, especially the pack-mule with the rations of the party. It was noon before we got together again, particularly the rations. The orderlies and attendants were halted on the stream at the base of the mountain, while the General and the rest of the party undertook the ascent. The effort this time was no less difficult than I had experienced with Hazen. By the time we had reached the top, the whole party was well blown. At least an hour was expended in studying the topography of the surrounding country. Before leaving, the contents of a bottle of brandy was replaced by a list of the names of the party, and an account of the circumstances of our visit. The bottle was for the edification of some future enthu

siastie admirers of nature, who might reach that elevated station in the physical world.

After admiring the scenery sufficiently for all, we made the descent on the south side and encountered the same obstacles which Hazen and I had met with in our descent on the north. The brambles and briers turned out to be a dense growth of blackberry and raspberrry bushes, strengthened in their impenetrability by a diminutive variety of plum-tree. From the difficulty we experienced in getting through by daylight, I was struck with amazement when I reflected upon my first experience in the darkness of night.

By the time we reached the foot of the mountain, the scouts had selected a charming site for a camp, and had spread the tent-flies. Several fine wild turkeys had been killed and greeted us with a savory odor. Our journey was attended by one misfortune, the loss of the General's stag-hound. Several of the scouts made a fruitless search for him. With the loss of the hound, half of the sport of the excursion was lost.

After the moon had risen, we divided up into parties and set out from camp in search of turkey roosts. All the game had evidently been frightened away by the scouts hunting in the afternoon. After wandering over the country several hours into the night, getting but a few shots, and meeting with all sorts of mishaps, we returned with an evident relish for a smoking supper, which was about to be distributed in true primitive style.

The fatigues of the day soon drove all to the blankets, from which it was with great reluctance, before daylight the next morning, we were called, by the orders of the night before, to make an early start.

The next morning we rode through the gorge passing under the frowning cliffs of Mount Sheridan. Our particular object in taking this direction was a bee-tree, which had been discovered a few days before by an old frontier's man, who had been "in the mountains a sarchin bar." We had the old man with us to point out the tree.

Mister Carr, the title being punctiliously applied on all