24 KANSAS AND THE COUNTRY BEYOND.

There is not a work now in progress which so strongly commends
itself to the support of the American Congress and people as this
which so many of us went out to see. Without a shadow of dissent,
and with all the earnestness and eloquence of which the distinguished
excursionists were capable, they commended it to the country and its
legislative representatives.

: ® .

LETTER V.— Prairie Dogs— Rambling Observations— Enterprise of
Chicago — Connection of Chicago with this State and Road.

Sarina, Kansas, June 13, 1867.
PRAIRIE DOGS.

Everysopy has heard of the curious little animals known by this
name; but the term is altogether inapplicable, for the creature has
not a single feature or characteristic of the canine race about it, ex-
cept that it barks. Its bark, however, is that of the squirrel, not that
of the dog. It, like the squirrel and marmot, belongs to the genus
rodentia, and lives altogether upon vegetable food. Its color 1s a yel-
lowish brown; its form and head resemble those of the gray squirrel ;
in size it is somewhat larger. Its ears look as if cropped off; its
tail is short, and its paws are like those of the squirrel, but admirably
adapted to burrowing in the ground. The expression of its counte-
nance, if I may so talk, is that of the squirrel, and its manifestations
of confidence, bordering on affection, when petted, are exactly like
those of the squirrel. In eating, it grasps its food between its paws
and nibbles it daintily, just as the squirrel does; and if corn is given,
of which it is fond, it bites out the soft gortiinating Pe and throws
the flinty part away.

As our party came up the road, about halfway between Fort Riley
and this place, while running over a broad prairie, we came to a place
called Abeliene, a hamlet of three or four houses and a country store.
The place is perhaps better known as Dogtown. Here the train
stopped, and our attention was directed to about a hundred little
mounds, in the top of each of which was a neat little hole running
down, at an angle of about forty-five degrees, deep into the ground.
On the top of each mound was one prairie-dog standing up on his
haunches, as erect as a grenadier, apparently on the lookout to see
what was coming. We all got out and approached the cluster of
. mounds, which were all comprehended within a space of less than half
an acre. On our approach, all the “dogs” at once dived down into
their burrows with the speed of arrows, and disappeared. Presently