at breakfast, a small buffalo calf rushed frantic with terror through the camp, pursued by two wolves.  The helpless little thing, separated from the herd, had probably mistaken the animals of the caravan for a herd of buffaloes.  The frightened creature, discovering its error, continued its precipitate flight.  The wolves, too wary to enter the camp, made a circuit around it, thus the calf got a little the start.  It strained every nerve to reach a large herd of buffaloes at the foot of the hills, about two miles distant.  Wolf after wolf joined in the chase until more than thirty were yelping in the hot pursuit.

A bull came out to the rescue of the little one, but was overpowered and driven back.  Soon the foremost of the pack fastened their fangs into the calf, the rest were instantly upon him, and the quivering animal was pulled down, torn to pieces and devoured almost before he was dead.  Every reader will sympathize with the remark of Lieutenant Fremont: 

“We watched the chase with the interest always felt for the weak.  Had there been a saddled horse at hand he would have fared better.”

As the caravan was slowly advancing that afternoon, vast clouds of dust on their right near the hills attracted their attention.  Several enormous herds of buffalo seemed to emerge from these clouds, galloping down towards the river.  By the time the first bands had reached the water the whole prairie seemed darkened with the countless multitudes, numbering thousands upon thousands.  They stretched in an unbroken line from the hills to the river, and fording the river passed on to the other side.

The prairie here was not less than two miles wide.  The mighty mass filled the whole expanse.  As they reached the caravan, they circled around it leaving the travellers an open space of two or three hundred yards.  The caravan continued its march, and the buffaloes continued their flow, until towards evening, when the company reached its camping-ground.

It was the evening of the fourth of July.  All through the day preparations were being made to celebrate the anniversary by a great feast.  Lieutenant Fremont gives the following attractive account of the bill of fare: 

“The kindness of our friends at St. Louis had provided us with a large supply of excellent preserves and rich fruit cake.  When these were added to macaroni soup and variously prepared dishes of the nicest buffalo meat, crowned with a cup of coffee, and enjoyed with prairie appetites, we felt as we sat in barbaric luxury around our smoking supper on the grass, a greater sensation of enjoyment than the Roman epicure at his perfumed feast.  But most of all it seemed to please our Indian friends who, in the unrestrained enjoyment of the moment, demanded to know if our medicine days came often.”

The party had now reached near the point where the north and south fork of the Platte river unite.  Lieutenant Fremont wished to explore the south branch, to obtain some astronomical observations, and to determine the mouths of its tributaries as far as St. Vrain’s fort.  He also hoped to obtain some mules there which he greatly needed.  He took with him nine men.  The three Cheyenne Indians accompanied him, as their village was upon that stream.  The remainder of the company followed up the north fork to Fort Laramie to be joined by their companions there.