At length we gained an open but more desert region.  The ground was stony and uneven, and we had rocky hills to ascend and dark gorges to pass through.  Water was scarce, and we had often to carry sufficient to supply our wants for a couple of days; while our cattle suffered greatly from thirst.  We could no longer hunt in small parties, for fear of encountering hostile Indians; but we were able to kill game without going to any great distance from the camp, as we found several species of deer inhabiting those wilds.