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Show 72 THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON TRAIL. l . our camp on the following W were late in brea nng up e h d ridden a mile when we saw, far . · and scarcely a we . . mOinmg, . t the horizon, a hne of obJects . d nee of us, drawn agams 111 a va . 1 along the level edge of the h' at regular mterva s stretc mg . hid them from siaht, until, . . . An intervemng swell soon o pranl8. f h ur after we saw close before us ascending it a quarter o an o ' . the em.i grant cai.a van, Wl' th its heavy white wagons creep1ng. on . d a large drove of cattle followmg in their behind. slow processwn, an . . Half a dozen yellow-visaged Missounans, mou~ted on horsebac 1{ ,were cursm. g and shouting amonoo- them ; the.n lank angular propor tw. ns, enveloped in brown hornespun, e. vidently cnt an d ad J.U S ted by the hands of a domestic female tall or. • As we approac he d , they greeted us with the polished salutatwn: 1•[' . ?.' ' Ho w are ye, bo ys ,._ Are ye for Oreaoo n or Ca uorn1a . As we pushed rapidly past tjh e wagons, children's face. s were thrust out from the wh1. te coven·n gs t o 1o o 1\,.. at us '· wh1le the care-worn, thin-featured matron, or the buxom g·u 1 ' sea ted in front suspended the knitting on wLich most of them were engaged' to stare at us w1. th wonden· ng CUl.l·O Sl· t Y· By the side of each wagon stalked the proprietor, urging on his patient oxe~, who shouldered heavily along, 1· nc h by 1· nc h , on tl1 e ir intermi-nab1e journey. It was easy to see that fear and dis:onsion prevailed among them ; some of the men-but those, with one exception, were bachelors-looked wistfully upon u ns we rode lightly and swiftly past, and then impatiently at th eir own lumbering wagons and hea~y-gaited oxen. Others were unwilling to ad vance at all, until the party they had left behind should have rejoined them. Many were murmuring against the leader they had chosen, and wished to depose him ; and this discontent was fomented by some ambitious spirits, who had THE PLATTE AND THE DESERT. 73 hopes of succeeding in his place. The women were divided between regrets for the homes they had left and apprehension of the deserts and the savages before them. . ' We soon left them far behind, and fondly hoped that we had taken a final leave; but unluckily our companions' wagon stuck so long in a deep muddy ditch, that before it was extricated the van of the emigrant caravan appeared again, descending a ridge close at hand. Wagon after wagon plunged through the mud; and as it was nearly noon, and the place promised shade and water, we saw with much gratification that they were resolved to encamp. Soon the wagons were wheeled into a circle; the cattle were grazing over the meadow, and the men, with sour, sullen faces, were looking about for wood and water. They seemed to meet with but indifferent success. As we left the ground, I saw a tall slouching fellow, with the nasal accent of 'down east,' contemplating the contents of his tin cup, which he had just filled with water. 'Look here, you," said he ; " it's chock full of animals!' The cup, as he held it out, exhibited in fact an extraordinary variety and profusion of animal and vegetable lifo. Riding up the little hill, and looking back on the n1eadow, we could easily see that all was not right in the camp of the emigrants. Tho men were crowded together, and an angry discussion seemed to be going forward. R--- was missing from his wonted place in the line, and the Captain told us that he had remained behind to get his horse shod by a blacksmith who was attached to the emigrant party. Something whjspered in our ears that mischief was on foot; we kept on, however, and coming soon to a stream of tolerable water, we stopped to rest and dine. Still the absentee lingered behind. At last, a 4 |