Our camp to-night is on Antelope creek, about five miles from the Yellowstone river.  After our arrival in camp, in company with Stickney and Gillette, I made a scout of eight or ten miles through the country east of our trail, and between it and the river, in search of some sign of Lieutenant Doane, but we found no trace of him.  Parting from Stickney and Gillette, I followed down the stream through a narrow gorge by a game trail, hoping if I could reach the Yellowstone, to find a good trail along its banks up to the foot of the Grand canon; but I found the route impracticable for the passage of our pack train.  After supper Mr. Hauser and I went out in search of our other party, and found the tracks of their horses, which we followed about four miles to the brow of a mountain overlooking the country for miles in advance of us.  Here we remained an hour, firing our guns as a signal, and carefully scanning the whole country with our field glasses.  We could discern the trail for many miles on its tortuous course, but could see no sign of a camp, or of horses feeding, and we returned to our camp.

Saturday, August 27.—­Lieutenant Doane and those who were with him did not return to camp last night.  At change of guard Gillette’s pack horse became alarmed at something in the bushes bordering upon the creek on the bank of which he was tied, and, breaking loose, dashed through the camp, rousing all of us.  Some wild animal—­snake, fox or something of the kind—­was probably the cause of the alarm.  In its flight I became entangled in the lariat and was dragged head first for three or four rods, my head striking a log, which proved to be very rotten, and offered little resistance to a hard head, and did me very little damage.  Towards morning a slight shower of rain fell, continuing at intervals till 8 o’clock.  We left camp about 9 o’clock, the pack train following about 11 o’clock, and soon struck the trail of Lieutenant Doane, which proved to be the route traveled by the Indians.  The marks of their lodge poles were plainly visible.  At about four miles from our morning camp we discovered at some distance ahead of us what first appeared to be a young elk, but which proved to be a colt that had become separated from the camp of Indians to which it belonged.  We think the Indians cannot be far from us at this time.  Following the trail up the ascent leading from Antelope creek, we entered a deep cut, the sides of which rise at an angle of 45 degrees, and are covered with a luxuriant growth of grass.  Through this cut we ascended by a grade entirely practicable for a wagon road to the summit of the divide separating the waters of Antelope creek from those of [F]——­ creek, and from the summit descended through a beautiful gorge to a small tributary of the Yellowstone, a distance of two miles, dismounting and leading our horses almost the entire distance, the descent being too precipitous for the rider’s comfort or for ease to the horse.  We were now within four miles of[F]——­