OCR Text |
Show 96 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. CHAPTER XVII. My Severe Toil in Getting to Camp Three Stray Cattle Come to the Fort The Second Company of the Y. X. Express Passes us Our Hunt for the Cattle Two Days' Travel Without Food Our Safe Return to Camp. I HAD been wearing moccasins all winter, had done a great deal of walking and had felt well and strong ; but the winter had commenced to break and there was mud and wet snow to encounter on our trip. Someone had induced me to put on a pair of heavy, stiff- soled English shoes. About sundown I gave out; got so lame that it was impossible for me to wear the shoes and travel. We had about ten miles to go yet, and no trail, as the Indian trail was much longer than to cross directly over the country, and we wished to take the shortest cut. Moreover there was still a few inches of snow on the ground part of the way on the most direct route. We were bent on getting to camp that night, if pos-sible, so determined to keep going. I was compelled to pull off my " stoggas" and go in my stocking feet. This did very well till the snow gave out, which it did as we got on to lower country. My socks soon failed then, and the ground commenced to freeze hard. Traveling became slightly unpleasant to me. I put on the shoes again, but could not possibly walk ; it was as though my shin bones were being broken at every step. ( Some may wonder why my companion did not change his foot gear with me. The reason was he wore a number six shoe, and I could squeeze on a number ten. Will that do?) So I determined to go bare- footed. It now became really unpleasant, for the country was spotted with prickly |