The ground near the camp, was a low prarie, without timber, though just
below is a grove of cottonwood.

Friday, September 7. The morning was very cold and the wind southeast.
At five and a half miles, we reached and encamped at the foot of a round
mountain, on the south, having passed two small islands. This mountain,
which is about three hundred feet at the base, forms a cone at the top,
resembling a dome at a distance, and seventy feet or more above the
surrounding highlands. As we descended from this dome, we arrived at a
spot, on the gradual descent of the hill, nearly four acres in extent,
and covered with small holes: these are the residence of a little
animal, called by the French, petit chien (little dog) who sit erect
near the mouth, and make a whistling noise, but when alarmed take refuge
in their holes. In order to bring them out, we poured into one of the
holes five barrels of water without filling it, but we dislodged and
caught the owner. After digging down another of the holes for six feet,
we found, on running a pole into it, that we had not yet dug half way to
the bottom: we discovered, however, two frogs in the hole, and near it
we killed a dark rattlesnake, which had swallowed a small prairie dog:
we were also informed, though we never witnessed the fact, that a sort
of lizard, and a snake, live habitually with these animals. The petit
chien are justly named, as they resemble a small dog in some
particulars, though they have also some points of similarity to the
squirrel. The head resembles the squirrel in every respect, except that
the ear is shorter, the tail like that of the ground-squirrel, the
toe-nails are long, the fur is fine, and the long hair is gray.

Saturday, September 8. The wind still continued from the southeast, but
moderately. At seven miles we reached a house on the north side, called
the Pawnee house, where a trader, named Trudeau, wintered in the year