Under the circumstances I would have taken almost anything.
There
was not enough to do me much harm, and it might possibly do good; so
at camp that night I took the poison instead of supper.
That camp is worthy of notice. The traders warned us not to follow
the main trail along the river, "unless," as one of them observed,
"you want to have your throats cut!" The river at this place makes a
bend; and a smaller trail, known as the Ridge-path, leads directly
across the prairie from point to point, a distance of sixty or
seventy miles.
We followed this trail, and after traveling seven or eight miles, we
came to a small stream, where we encamped. Our position was not
chosen with much forethought or military skill. The water was in a
deep hollow, with steep, high banks; on the grassy bottom of this
hollow we picketed our horses, while we ourselves encamped upon the
barren prairie just above. The opportunity was admirable either for
driving off our horses or attacking us. After dark, as Tete Rouge
was sitting at supper, we observed him pointing with a face of
speechless horror over the shoulder of Henry, who was opposite to
him. Aloof amid the darkness appeared a gigantic black apparition;
solemnly swaying to and fro, it advanced steadily upon us. Henry,
half vexed and half amused, jumped up, spread out his arms, and
shouted. The invader was an old buffalo bull, who with
characteristic stupidity, was walking directly into camp. It cost
some shouting and swinging of hats before we could bring him first to
a halt and then to a rapid retreat.
That night the moon was full and bright; but as the black clouds
chased rapidly over it, we were at one moment in light and at the
next in darkness. As the evening advanced, a thunderstorm came up;
it struck us with such violence that the tent would have been blown
over if we had not interposed the cart to break the force of the
wind. At length it subsided to a steady rain. I lay awake through
nearly the whole night, listening to its dull patter upon the canvas
above. The moisture, which filled the tent and trickled from
everything in it, did not add to the comfort of the situation. About
twelve o'clock Shaw went out to stand guard amid the rain and pitch
darkness. Munroe, the most vigilant as well as one of the bravest
among us, was also on the alert. When about two hours had passed,
Shaw came silently in, and touching Henry, called him in a low quick
voice to come out. "What is it?" I asked. "Indians, I believe,"
whispered Shaw; "but lie still; I'll call you if there's a fight."
He and Henry went out together. I took the cover from my rifle, put
a fresh percussion cap upon it, and then, being in much pain, lay
down again. In about five minutes Shaw came in again. "All right,"
he said, as he lay down to sleep. Henry was now standing guard in
his place. He told me in the morning the particulars of the alarm.
Munroe' s watchful eye discovered some dark objects down in the
hollow, among the horses, like men creeping on all fours. Lying flat
on their faces, he and Shaw crawled to the edge of the bank, and were
soon convinced that what they saw were Indians. Shaw silently
withdrew to call Henry, and they all lay watching in the same
position. Henry's eye is of the best on the prairie. He detected
after a while the true nature of the moving objects; they were
nothing but wolves creeping among the horses.
It is very singular that when picketed near a camp horses seldom show
any fear of such an intrusion. The wolves appear to have no other
object than that of gnawing the trail-ropes of raw hide by which the
animals are secured. Several times in the course of the journey my
horse's trail-rope was bitten in two by these nocturnal visitors.
CHAPTER XXVII
THE SETTLEMENTS
The next day was extremely hot, and we rode from morning till night
without seeing a tree or a bush or a drop of water. Our horses and
mules suffered much more than we, but as sunset approached they
pricked up their ears and mended their pace. Water was not far off.
When we came to the descent of the broad shallowy valley where it
lay, an unlooked-for sight awaited us. The stream glistened at the
bottom, and along its banks were pitched a multitude of tents, while
hundreds of cattle were feeding over the meadows. Bodies of troops,
both horse and foot, and long trains of wagons with men, women, and
children, were moving over the opposite ridge and descending the
broad declivity in front. These were the Mormon battalion in the
service of government, together with a considerable number of
Missouri volunteers. The Mormons were to be paid off in California,
and they were allowed to bring with them their families and property.
There was something very striking in the half-military, half-
patriarchal appearance of these armed fanatics, thus on their way
with their wives and children, to found, if might be, a Mormon empire
in California. We were much more astonished than pleased at the
sight before us. In order to find an unoccupied camping ground, we
were obliged to pass a quarter of a mile up the stream, and here we
were soon beset by a swarm of Mormons and Missourians. The United
States officer in command of the whole came also to visit us, and
remained some time at our camp.
In the morning the country was covered with mist. We were always
early risers, but before we were ready the voices of men driving in
the cattle sounded all around us. As we passed above their camp, we
saw through the obscurity that the tents were falling and the ranks
rapidly forming; and mingled with the cries of women and children,
the rolling of the Mormon drums and the clear blast of their trumpets
sounded through the mist.
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