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The entire caravan now had passed in turn the Prairies and the Plains

In the vestibule of the mountains they had arrived in the most splendid

out-of-doors country the world has ever offered The climate was

superb, the scenery was a constant succession of changing beauties new

to the eyes of all Game was at hand in such lavish abundance as none of

theed alithin touch, great

bands of elk now appeared, antelope alere in sight The streaame fish, and the lesser life of the open was

threaded across continually by the presence of the great predatory

aniray wolf, even an occasionalof the cattle herds now required continual exertion, and if

any weak or crippled draft animal fell out its bones were clean within

the hour The feeling of the wilderness noas distinct enough for the

es in look

and practice

Wingate's wagons kept well apace with the average schedule of a dozen

to fifteen or twenty hts of land between the North Platte and the