Loosely connected, independent, individual, none the less already we were establishing a government.

We took the American Republic with us across the Plains! This manner of travel offered much monotony, yet it had its little pleasures.

For my own part, my early experience in Western matters placed me in charge of our band of hunters, whose duty it was to ride at the flanks of our caravan each day and to kill sufficient buffalo for meat.

This work of the chase gave us more to do than was left for those who plodded along or rode bent over upon the wagon seats; yet even for these there was some relaxation.

At night we met in little social circles around the camp-fires.