During my absence my wife had given birth to a son. Though he was
several weeks old when I returned no name had been given him. I called
him Elmo Judson, in honor of Colonel Judson, whose pen name was "Ned
Buntline." But the officers insisted upon calling him Kit Carson Cody
and it was finally settled that this should be his name.
Shortly after my return I received orders instructing me to accompany
Professor Marsh on a fossil-hunting expedition into the rough lands of
the Big Horn Basin. The party was to consist of a number of scientists
besides Professor Marsh, together with twenty-five students from Yale,
which institution was sending out the expedition.
I was to get together thirty-five saddle-horses for the party. The
quartermaster arranged for the transportation, pack mules, etc. But
General Sheridan, under whose direction the scientists were proceeding,
always believed in my ability to select good horses from a
quartermaster's herd.
In a few days Professor Marsh and his companions arrived. The Pawnee
Scouts, then in camp, had a year before unearthed some immense fossil
bones, so it was decided that Major North, with a few of these scouts,
should also accompany the expedition. Professor Marsh had heard of this
discovery, and was eager to find some of the same kind of fossils.
Professor Marsh believed that the Basin would be among the last of the
Western lands to be settled.
Pages:
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217