[Footnote 3:  Salt Springs.]

These Springs form the head waters of the south fork of the River Platte.  When four days’ journey had been accomplished, and while they were partaking of their breakfast in camp, an alarm of Indians was given by one of the men.  He had accidentally discovered the red skin rascals as they were prowling about the camp.  A rush was instantly made by the trappers, with rifles in hand, to save their horses.  Shots were fired and one Indian fell.  The rest of the band made off as empty-handed as they came, with one exception.  One brave had succeeded in capturing and mounting a horse before the white men could reach him.  Notwithstanding he had a dead brother lying on the ground, he appeared to be altogether too polite to make the trappers a longer visit; at least, without a proper introduction.  On the contrary, he galloped off; seemingly, quite proud of his trophy.  Had it not been that the trappers had taken the precaution to hobble their horses before turning them out to graze, they would have lost them all in this attempted stampede.[4]

[Footnote 4:  These stampedes are a source of great profit to the Indians of the Plains.  It is by this means they deprive the caravans of their animals.  The Camanches are particularly expert and daring in this kind of robbery.  They even train horses to run from one given point to another in expectancy of caravans.  When a camp is made which is nearly in range they turn their trained animals loose, who at once fly across the plain, penetrating and passing through the camp of their victims.  All of the picketed animals will endeavor to follow, and usually succeed in following, the trained horses.  Such are invariably led into the haunts of the thieves, who easily secure them.  Young horses and mules are easily frightened; and, in the havoc which generally ensues, oftentimes great injury is done to the runaways themselves.  The sight of a stampede on a grand scale requires steady nerves to witness without tremor; and, woe to the footman who cannot get out of the way when the frightened animals come along.  At times, when the herd is very large, the horses scatter over the open country and are irrecoverably lost; and, such as do not become wild, fall a prey to the ravenous wolves.  Such, most frequently, is the fate of stampeded horses which have been bred in the States, not being trained by a prairie-life experience to take care of themselves.  Instead of bravely stopping and fighting off the wolves, they run.  The whole pack are sure to leave the bolder animals and make for the runaways, which they seldom fail to overtake and dispatch.  Four years since, one of these stampedes occurred on the Plains of a band of horses, in which there were several hundred valuable animals.  It was attended with very heavy loss to the owners.  Through the courage and great exertions of those who had the animals in charge, many were recovered, but none without having sustained more or less injury.