changed, but kept its eternal rim of mountains at the same height and
distance from hour to hour and day to day. Dust--a parching alkaline
powder that cracked the skin--everywhere, clinging to the hubs and
spokes of the wheels, without being disturbed by movement, incrusting
the cavalryman from his high boots to the crossed sabres of his cap;
going off in small puffs like explosions under the plunging hoofs of the
horses, but too heavy to rise and follow them. A reeking smell of horse
sweat and boot leather that lingered in the road long after the train
had passed. An external silence broken only by the cough of a jaded
horse in the suffocating dust, or the cracking of harness leather.
Within one of the wagons that seemed a miracle of military neatness and
methodical stowage, a lazy conversation carried on by a grizzled driver
and sunbrowned farrier.

"'Who be you?' sezee. 'I'm Philip Atherly, a member of Congress,' sez
the long, dark-complected man, sezee, 'and I'm on a commission
for looking into this yer Injin grievance,' sezee. 'You may be God
Almighty,' sez Nebraska Bill, sezee, 'but you look a d--d sight
more like a hoss-stealin' Apache, and we don't want any of your
psalm-singing, big-talkin' peacemakers interferin' with our ways of
treatin' pizen,--you hear me? I'm shoutin',' sezee. With that the
dark-complected man's eyes began to glisten, and he sorter squirmed all
over to get at Bill, and Bill outs with his battery.--Whoa, will ye;
what's up with YOU now?" The latter remark was directed to the young
spirited near horse he was driving, who was beginning to be strangely
excited.

"What happened then?" said the farrier lazily.

"Well," continued the driver, having momentarily quieted his horse, "I