Part 2 (1/2)

Sihters, Billy,” he told nedtrain, twenty-five wagons in a line, each with its six yoke of oxen, rolled slowly out of Leavenworth over the western trail

Wagon-master assistants, bull-whackers--thirty men in all not to ht This was to be a long journey, clear to the Utah country, and I eagerly looked forward to new adventures

The first of these ca out over the trail near the Platte, about twenty miles from the scene of the Indian attack on McCarthy's outfit, watching the buffalo scattered to right and left of us, e heard two or three shots, fired in rapid succession

Before we could find out who fired the in a furious sta but juon was drawn by six yoke of Texas steers which instantly beca away over the prairie with the buffalo, our wagon following along behind The other wagons were too heavy for the steers to gallop aith; otherwise the whole outfit would have gone

I re down between two yoke of oxen, tearing away the gooseneck and the heavy chain with each lowered horn I can still see hi from either side Whether or not his new ornaments excited the admiration of his fellohen the herd cauess

The descent of the buffalo upon us lasted only a few e was done that three days were required to repair it before we could ain, which was lucky, for it contained all our provender

We learned afterward that the staold-seekers, whose shots into the herd had been our first warning of as co Twice before we neared the Mormon country ere attacked by Indians The army was so far ahead that they had become bold We beat off the attacks, but lost two men

It hite erous enee about a mile and a half from a little creek, Halm's Fork, where the stock were driven to water This was a hundred and fifteen miles east of Salt Lake City, and ithin the limits of the Mormon country

Most of the outfit had driven the cattle to the creek, aslohile the ani the way back to caons

As we rose the hill a big bearded man, mounted and surrounded by a party of aron-master

”Throw up your hands, Simpson!” said the leader, who knew Simpson's name and his position

Siers had the drop and up went his hands At the saons were surrounded by several hundred men, all mounted and armed, and the teamsters all rounded up in a bunch We knew that we had fallen into the hands of the Morels, the ruffians who perpetrated the dreadful Mountain Meadows Massacre of the same year The leader was Lot Smith, one of the bravest and most determined of the whole crowd

”Now, Si to be kind to you You can have one wagon with the cattle to draw it Get into it all the provisions and blankets you can carry, and turn right round and go back to the Missouri River You're headed in the wrong direction”

”Can we have our guns?” asked Siun”

”Six-shooters?”

”Not a six-shooter Nothing but food and blankets”

”How are we going to protect ourselves on the way?”

”That's your business We're doing you a favor to spare your lives”

All Siainst several hundred of theed with provisions, clothing and blankets They had taken away every rifle and every pistol we possessed Ordering us to hike for the East, and infor us that ould be shot down if we attempted to turn back, they watched us depart

When we had ainst the sky behind us, and knew that our wagon-train had been fired The greasy baconti was left but the iron bolts and axles and tires

Smith's party, which had been sent out to keep all supplies froon-trains that saons were all completely consumed, and for the next few years the Moret the iron that was left in the ashes

Turned adrift on the desert with not a weapon to defend ourselves was hardly a pleasant prospect It on was loaded to its full capacity There was nothing to do but walk I was not yet twelve years old, but I had to ith the rest the full thousand miles, and we made nearly thirty miles a day

Fortunately ere not ot a few rifles, all they could spare, and with these ere able to kill game for fresh meat I wore out three pairs of moccasins on that journey, and learned then that the thicker are the soles of your shoes, the easier are your feet on a long walk over rough ground