Soul Stance River - 7

August is ending with a heat that gives no mercy to the land or man so intense that the air swelters off the river into the tree tops, looking ahead, its as if we are passing through the gossamer of summer's spector, Private Shanon has been missing for six days although, we believe he is lost, not captured or deserted only God knows where his feet have taken him, evidence along the riverbank indicates that he is alive and pursuing us perhaps mistaken and disoriented, thinking that we are further up river, Old Dorion is seeking him now like a clever wolf, Shanon was seperated from me while stalking a coyote a most mischievous animal that is entirely foriegn to us except in prank, a bottle of whiskey goes to the first man who can lay a coyote down, yesterday half of the expedition went hunting the prarie dog a critter more cunning than a cat and jumpy as a log spark, after several hours of scrambling around like lunatics Private Sheilds has finally caught one with pork bait and a twig basket the poor rascal squieks like a cheap violin, eventually I will send it to Washington with other novel specimens, President Jefferson and the Philosophical Society will be good guardians, the men and I have been refreshing ourselves on the jewels of soil the wild grapes are so succulent that the Italians would believe Bacchus himself had seeded this earth with a secret serum and the plum groves cuddled in the most unadulterated coves invite the mind into Eden's shadow, on this journey we have observed migrations of pigeons that have rivaled the stretch of storm clouds, crowds of squirrels so numerous they have canvassed the ground with a sea of fur, and now the mighty, mythical buffalo walks before us a legend amongst beasts, monstrous in girth with hooves that peel the Plains and horns shaped by vengeance, as they graze we seize the prize of their offering with thanks in our aim, not having horses strategic concealment is critical, they are reknown for retaliation, we dropped seven of them in a great pandemonium of panic the gun smoke, field dust and perspiration meld into a fragrance of sacrifice, our sustenance is secured, their lives feed our future, J.A.B.