Part 17 (1/2)
”Died last night. The pilgrims is tryin' to make coffins fer 'em out'n cottonwood logs.”
”Lucky for all!” Jackson interrupted the garrulity of the other. ”We buried men in blankets on the Vermilion a few days back. The p.a.w.nees got a small camp o' our own folks.”
”Yes, I know all about that.”
”What's that?” cut in Banion. ”How do you know?”
”Well, we've got the survivors--three o' them, countin' Woodhull, their captain.”
”How did they get here?”
”They came in with a small outfit o' Mormons that was north o' the Vermilion. They'd come out on the St. Jo road. They told me--”
”Is Woodhull here--can you find him?”
”Sh.o.r.e! Ye want to see him?”
”Yes.”
”He told me all about hit--”
”We know all about it, perhaps better than you do--after he's told you all about it.”
Bridger looked at him, curious.
”Well, anyhow, hit's over,” said he. ”One of the men had a p.a.w.nee arrer in his laig. Reckon hit hurt. I know, fer I carried a Blackfoot arrerhead under my shoulder blade fer sever'l years.
”But come on down and help me make these pilgrims set guards. Do-ee mind, now, the hull Sioux nation's just in ahead o' us, other side the river! Yet these people didn't want to ford to the south side the Platte; they wanted to stick north o' the river. Ef we had, we'd have our ha'r dryin' by now. I tell ye, the tribes is out to stop the wagon trains this spring. They say too many womern and children is comin', an'
that shows we want to take their land away fer keeps.
”From now on to Oregon--look out! The Cayuses cleaned out the Whitman mission last spring in Oregon. Even the Shoshones is dancin'. The Crows is out, the Cheyennes is marchin', the Bannocks is east o' the Pa.s.s, an'
ye kain't tell when ter expeck the Blackfoots an' Grow Vaws. Never was gladder to see a man than I am to see Bill Jackson.”
”Stretch out!”
Banion gave the order. The Missouri wagons came on, filed through the gap in order and with military exactness wheeled into a perfect park at one side the main caravan.
As the outer columns swung in, the inner spread out till the lapped wagons made a great oblong, Bridger watching them. Quickly the animals were outspanned, the picket ropes put down and the loose horses driven off to feed while the cattle were close herded. He nodded his approval.
”Who's yer train boss, Bill?” he demanded. ”That's good work.”
”Major Banion, of Doniphan's column in the war.”
”Will he fight?”
”Try him!”
News travels fast along a wagon train. Word pa.s.sed now that there was a big Sioux village not far ahead, on the other side of the river, and that the caravan should be ready for a night attack. Men and women from the earlier train came into the Westport camp and the leaders formulated plans. More than four hundred families ate in sight of one another fires that evening.