Bill McCarthy, boss of the outfit, was a typical Westerner, rough but courageous, and with plenty of experience on the frontier.
We progressed peacefully enough till we made Plum Creek, thirty-six miles west of Fort Kearney, on the South Platte.

The trip had been full of excitement for me.

The camp life was rough, the bacon often rusty and the flour moldy, but the hard work gave us big appetites.

Plainsmen learn not to be particular.
I remember that on some of our trips we obtained such "luxuries" as dried apples and beans as part of our supplies.

We could only have these once every two or three days, and their presence in the mess was always a glad occasion.
We were nooning at Plum Creek, the cattle spread out over the prairie to graze in charge of two herders.