Transcript

FAVIE'S SCRAPES AND SCRAMBLES.
XVI.

OH! who can tell the mighty age
Of the Rocky Mountain, so strong and tall?
Who understands the wonderful page,
Writ by the sun and the storms' wild rage,
On its rough and massive wall?
Oh! glad are the echoes the travelers wake,
While heavenward sending their grateful cheers,
As the summit they gain and their first view take
Of the valley where lies the Great Salt Lake,
And the home of the Pioneers.
Sometimes, while traveling in the heat and dust, the children would get so hungry and thirsty that they would look for almost anything along the road with which to refresh themselves. Someone found out that even prickly pears with much careful cleaning could be made safe for eating and were quite pleasant to the taste.
Rhoda and a girl a little older than herself were one day walking together and came to a bed of the prickly pears. They knew they must not stop long, but thought they might each take just one pear and clean and eat it.
The other girl proposed a race to see which could the more quickly clean and eat her pear, to which Rhoda agreed. In her anxiety not to be beaten, Rhoda's competitor began eating her pear before she had thoroughly cleared it of its prickers. The result was a very painful one. The young girl's lips and tongue were badly pierced by the prickers which she had left on the fruit, and were sore for a number of days.
It was a good lesson to the children, who took more pains than ever to see that no prickers were left on a prickly pear when they began eating it.
A poor old line-backed cow gave out one day and had to be left. When the worn-out animal dropped down, a troop of birds flew about, and some of them settled upon her. One little magpie was so impudent and daring as not to fly when Nellie shook her apron at them to drive them away from the cow. So the little apron was quickly dropped over the saucy magpie, and Nellie held it fast.
That was quite an item among the young folks in the train. Stories were told about parrots and magpies learning to talk. How their tongues had to be cut; how they could be taught to sing and say funny things, and how knowing and interesting they would be. Nellie was going to have her bird learn everything that could be taught to birds, for it was certainly very intelligent. When she caught it, the very first thing it tried to bite her hand. But she fed it some bits of bread, and treated it very gently, and it soon learned that she was its friend; or she thought so, at least.
Favie promised to hunt some sticks and tacks and strings and make a cage for it; and Nellie was going to make a great pet of her "Mag," and keep it forever, or as long as it would live.
All the children wanted to hold it in turn. Nellie was always very generous, and willing to share her pleasures with others. But she did not quite like to risk letting the little girls take Mag.
Lillie coaxed pitifully to be allowed to hold it just one minute. Nellie could not refuse her baby sister's pleading, and so, after giving Lillie very careful instructions just how to do, she placed her bird in the little hands. No sooner were Nellie's hands removed from the bird than, as if it knew perfectly the state of affairs, it nipped Lillie's finger, when she quickly let go of it. Like lightening the bird flew away to join its former friends who were so much more to it than the new ones who were trying to adopt it and make it feel at home with them.
A brother Fuller and a young man named Mackey, from Salt Lake, met the train in which the Kane family traveled, and brought some ox teams to help the company into the valleys. The help was much needed and greatly appreciated.
Now the travelers were nearing the mountains, and the warm season was about spent. Occasional cold storms began to make the traveling disagreeable in a different way to that experienced in the heat and dust of summer. But there were still some bright, pleasant days, which were greatly enjoyed.
They camped one night by a small mountain of bare rocks. Afterwards, as they traveled on and came to the foot of the "Rocky Ridge," they met a band of Shoshone Indians.
One of the Indians rode close to Favie's team, and his pony jumped over the oxen, either from fright, or because the rider made him do it. That frightened the oxen, and also Satsie and Rhoda, who were riding down the hill in Favie's wagon. Rhoda jumped out of the wagon, but fortunately was not hurt. Quite a commotion was caused by these incidents. The train stopped, as the Indians wanted to talk and trade with the men. Brother Fuller bought a pony of one of the Indians. And that evening when they camped, Brother Mackey tied Favie on the pony, and they made sport for the company.
Among the camping places at which the travelers rested were places called Pacific Springs, Little Sandy and Big Sandy. Then they came to Green River, which is six hundred miles long. The water of the Green River is very clear but has a greenish cast. Both Big and Little Sandy run into Green River.Near their camping place on Green River was a trading post, owned by a Frenchman whose name was Batteese Leauscheau. This man had married two squaws.
He came to the train to see if he could buy or sell or trade something with the travelers.
Batteese, as he was called, was very dark complexioned, but he had a good-natured look, and his voice was soft and pleasant. He wore buckskin pantaloons and shirt which were trimmed with fringe of the same material, and moccasins which were beautifully ornamented with colored beads. Very likely his clothes were made by his wives.
Brother Kane and some of the others bought some dried cod-fish and bacon of Batteese; and after talking awhile and telling some stories about the country and his own life there, he went back to his double-roomed cabin. Favie went with him, and found that Batteese and his wives were very hospitable and seemed to live comfortably and happily together.
Part of the train, becoming anxious to get to the valleys, began making long, hard drives, leaving the others behind them. But they found that did not pay, for their poor, worn cattle soon gave out entirely, and the men were then obliged to stop and let them rest. The more patient ones, among whom was Brother Kane, soon overtook those who had tried to hurry. And like the tortoise with the hare, the more careful drivers might have passed on and left the more hasty ones; but they were generous and charitable, and helped their brethren along, because of their crippled teams.
It was past the middle of September now, and cold rain storms made the traveling very tedious and difficult. One afternoon old Turk, as they called one of the best oxen in Brother Kane's team, gave out, and they had to go on and leave him. When they camped, Brother Kane went back to see if Turk would drive up, and found him dead.
Besides the value of the ox in helping to draw the wagon, and the loss to the family in that regard, it seemed like losing a near friend to have one of the faithful animals, that had shared the hardships of the journey, die and have to be left. But many sad experiences of that kind had to be met by the pioneering Saints.
Eighty-one Elders from the valleys, on their way to several mission fields, camped near Brother Kane's company on Green River one night. Then there was singing and talking and quite an old-fashioned good time. And the poor travelers were revived and encouraged, and felt that sometime they should reach the resting place from which these Elders had come.
Another time, Brigham H. Young and William Huntington's camp was near enough to Brother Kane's so that he walked over and stayed all night with them; and got from them some flour and bacon to help feed his own company, with some of whom provisions were beginning to get quite low.
There were in the company a few horse and mule teams. One morning those animals were not to be found. After awhile some Indians came with them and said they had found them. The Indians rode along by the wagons for awhile, and wanted very much to trade for some of the girls in the camp.
One young woman very foolishly and laughingly accepted an invitation to ride on a horse belonging to one of the Indians. No sooner was she seated on the animal's back than all the Indians (five or six in number) gave a wild whoop and started the horse up the hills away from the train.
The Indians all ran with and after the horse in great excitement, whooping and yelling and urging the horse on, with the frightened girl still upon its back.
The train had to stop, and the men had great trouble in rescuing the girl.
The Indians were angry, and for several days they followed the train stealthily, determined to capture the girl and keep her.
Very strict guard had to be kept over the wagon in which the girl had to be closely hid.
Not only had the young woman's thoughtlessness placed herself in danger, but any other girl in camp was liable to be taken off in her stead.
It was discovered that Rhoda was watched by one of the young "braves" and she too had to be kept out of sight in the back of a covered wagon.
On the first of October there was so heavy a snow storm that the company had to remain in camp all day.