Mexico Missouri message., 1901-01-17
(CONTINUED.)

i'm the willows on the little creek.
To my surprise | found only one
wagon, and their company con
sisted of an old lady, two sons
and daughter. They, by some
mishap, had been separated from
their company and they, like my
self, would have felt little better
if we had had Il guard of II hun
bred soldiers. On entering their
camp | was met by the other
young man, who assisted me III
stalking out my horse aud OK.
Then we went to the tent and
found his mother and sister busy
preparing supper. The old lady
was a good, motherly old woman
and the sister, dressed in her tray
cling suit, might be called the
queen Of the West.
After supper we sat around the
camp fire and talked of the loved
ones we had left bchind-whom III
all probability we should never see
again. In fact, we had no assur-
ance that we should see the sun
light of another day. We were a
fraid to go to sleep and after we
were tired of talking about home
we went into the tent and played
cuchre to pass the weary hours of
the night away. The young lady
and | played against the two bro
Tiers. | soon found that my fair
partner could make four times
with lone hand.
After so long a time we tired of
the game and spread our blankets
and went to sleep, thinking it was
about the same if we were killed
asleep or awake. We were all
tired and nothing disturbed our
slumbers, not even the wolf that
crowded into the tent and stole II
half side of bacon. When we IL
woke in the morning the sun was
high in the heavens and seemed to
shine brighter than it had ever
shonc before.
After breakfast my friends yok-
ed up their oxen and hitchcd them
to the wagon and drove out into
the road and | thought that !
would go along with them for "A
few miles until could get on some
high ground and there wait until
our train would come along, think
ing they would have started soon
after left them. travelled along
with my new friends for several
miles, when found IA good high
place and stopped and babe them
goodby, and as they left me |
thought that if had that old OK
back to the boys that | should
like to have made the rest of the
journey with that girl.
Soon long trains of wagons be-
gan to pass along and | kept
thinking that our train would soon
come along, but | was disappoint-
ed; it did not come, and late in
the evening | found myself alone
again. started back and dark
overlook me on the same little
creek that | was on the night be-
fore; but | did not find friends rs
| did before, so went splashing
along, crossing and rccrossing the
crooked little stream, not knowing
what minute | might run upon Il
band of Indians. My horse, i'll
travelling over the stones seemed to
make as much noise rs II train of
ears.
On and on | went with nothing
to cheer me more than the screams
of mountain lions. | would now
and then bear the shrill song of
some night bird with dozen
wolves to Join in the chorus. Even
the chirp of the cricket sounded rs
loud as horse fiddle. My horse
and the old OK were good company
compared to the inhabitants of
this wild place.
After miles of weary travel
came out into an open place and
far off to the left of the road | dis
covered light. Not knowing
whether it was emigrants or In
dams started towards it. had
not gone far when | was halted
and recognized the voice of one
of our boys who was out on guard
When ! rode into camp all hands
got up and gave me royal wei
come; in fact, they made it APP
4