Part 41 (1/2)
The little sagebrush fire flared up brightly for an instant as Molly Wingate dropped one of her letters on the embers.
CHAPTER x.x.xVII
JIM BRIDGER FORGETS
”What's wrong with the people, Cale?” demanded Jesse Wingate of his stouthearted a.s.sociate, Caleb Price. The sun was two hours high, but not all the breakfast fires were going. Men were moody, truculent, taciturn, as they went about their duties.
Caleb Price bit into his yellow beard as he gazed down the irregular lines of the encampment.
”Do you want me to tell you the truth, Jesse?”
”Why, yes!”
”Well, then, it seems to me the truth is that this train has lost focus.”
”I don't know what you mean.”
”I don't know that I'm right--don't know I can make my guess plain. Of course, every day we lay up, the whole train goes to pieces. The thing to do is to go a little way each day--get into the habit. You can't wear out a road as long as this one by spurts--it's steady does it.
”But I don't think that's all. The main trouble is one that I don't like to hint to you, especially since none of us can help it.”
”Out with it, Cale!”
”The trouble is, the people don't think they've got a leader.”
Jesse Wingate colored above his beard.
”That's pretty hard,” said he.
”I know it's hard, but I guess it's the truth. You and I and Hall and Kelsey--we're accepted as the chief council. But there are four of us, and all this country is new to all of us. The men now are like a bunch of cattle ready to stampede. They're nervous, ready to jump at anything.
Wrong way, Jesse. They ought to be as steady as any of the trains that have gone across; 1843, when the Applegates crossed; 1846, when the Donners went--every year since. Our folks--well, if you ask me, I really think they're scared.”
”That's hard, Cale!”
”Yes, hard for me to say to you, with your wife sad and your girl just now able to sit up--yes, it's hard. Harder still since we both know it's your own personal matter--this quarrel of those two young men, which I don't need explain. That's at the bottom of the train's uneasiness.”
”Well, they've both gone now.”
”Yes, both. If half of the both were here now you'd see the people quiet. Oh, you can't explain leaders.h.i.+p, Jesse! Some have it, most don't. He had. We know he had. I don't suppose many of those folks ever figured it out, or do now. But they'd fall in, not knowing why.”
”As it is, I'll admit, there seems to be something in the air. They say birds know when an earthquake is coming. I feel uneasy myself, and don't know why. I started for Oregon. I don't know why. Do you suppose--”
The speculations of either man ceased as both caught sight of a little dust cloud far off across the sage, steadily advancing down the slope.
”Hum! And who's that, Jesse?” commented the Ohio leader. ”Get your big gla.s.s, Jesse.”
Wingate went to his wagon and returned with the great telescope he sometimes used, emblem of his authority.
”One man, two packs,” said he presently. ”All alone so far as I can see.