Year: 1876

Il OAOLA AAANS
prospects for the continuation Of their jour
ney, the worst of which, as they believed, wa
now over Three or four weeks more of trav
el, unless some unexpected drawback shoule
occur, ought to bring them to their destina
ton. ....... ...


They made grave for poor little Carrie il
the shadow of the hills, and laid her there
with reverent hands, one of the men reading
aloud the burial service from prayer-bool
they had with them. A solemn service il
was, held in that lonely spot, so far from kin
dred and from home; the sad yet beautiful
words, though familiar to most Of those pres
ent, falling on their ears like the strange echs
of something past and forgotten, so completely
did they feel themselves cut adrift from theil
old life, and everything belonging to it. Il
seemed as though the stricken mother, who
had been called upon to make 80 costly sac
rifice to their enterprise, could scarcely make
up her mind to turn away from the solitary
grave, and leave it 80 far behind her. But
the pang, bitter as it was, had to be endured
at last and with lingering looks, the pilgrims
bade adieu to the spot now consecrated tc
their hearts, and set their faces once more to-
ward their sunset shrine.


For the next few days they had compare
lively easy time. The nature of the ground
was favorable to travel, and both they and
their animals, recruited by rest and fresh food
were able to make more rapid progress than
before. After that they entered a wild and
solitary region, peopled by no white settlers
as yet. Here and there they encountered
struggling savage, who glowered at them with
no friendly eyes, but glided away, as if in fear
at their approach. They redoubled their Wig
lance by night and day, to guard against any
unlooked,for attack. They were we'll provl'
ded with firearms, and felt no serious appre.
tensions, yet there was always danger in being
unprepared. Mothers kept their little chill
dren closer to them, as they penetrated the
unknown recesses of this wilderness. The
night-watch was doubled, and one or two
trusty dogs, they had with them, were kept
constantly on the alert. As they went on,
even the signs Of stray Indians ceased to ap,
pear, and all around them seemed vast un.
broken solitude, trodden, it might be, by no
mortal foot before.


One day, however, they came suddenly upon
the evidence of former travel over this very
route-ghastly evidence, in the shape of some
human skulls and bleached bones, scattered
on the ground. How had they come there
they wondered. Had some wanderers, like
themselves, overtaken by starvation or disease,
perished miserably, thus remote from human
aid, or had they--still more horriblet thought
fallen victims to Indian cruelty, or to the as
sault of wild beasts With chill of un'
spoken mistrust and awe, they looked upon
these mute relics and, prompted by an i'm,
pulse of humanity, gathered them together in
heap and covered them away from sight
beneath the sand. They passed on their way
I with heavier hearts than before, speaking in
subdued tones. A sort of nameless foreboding
seemed TO have surrounded them as with a
cloud.


A week more, and they emerged again up.
on the open plains One more long barren
tract must be crossed, and then they would
come in sight of the home they were seeking
Here the ground was not all level and unbro'
ken. Struggling chains of hills sometimes
crossed their way, and occasionally they es
pied clumps of stunted, wind-gnarled trees
They had not more than half crossed this
tract, when symptoms of disease began to ap'
pear among the horses. Two of the strongest
and best of them soon became entirely useless
and many of the others we're more or less at.
fected. This involved delay of some days
which they could but ill afford. However, il
was absolutely necessary to allow the animals
to- rest in order to give them chance of re
coyery. Several of them died, notwithstand'
ing the care with which they were treated,
thus throwing double burden upon the rest
and considerably diminishing the rate of daily
progress, when able to start again. Once
more they began to watch their stores with
anxious eyes yet they still had enough, pro-
vided no farther delay should occur. The
weather was no longer oppressively hot. The
SUN was still warm during the day, but the
uight.winds blew chill and sharp, and the
travellers were glad to wrap themselves up
warmly when they retired to rest.


Another affliction befell the SCOTS. The
little baby, who had been for some time all
ing, suddenly drooped and died another
grave, tiny one this time, was scooped out
in the sand, and the second little victim to
the hardships of the route laid at rest, and
left behind with aching hearts by those who
still had those hardships to endure.


eff had known what was ahead of me,
said poor Mrs. Scott, I'D have cut off my
right hand sooner than give in to Ellis wish
to leave home. Oh! if we had but stayed
What matter ifthe farm didn't yield quite as
much profit as we wanted it to, so as we all
were together, and kept well?"


Nobody knows what might have happen
ed even if you had stayed" said Mary Ora
ham, trying to comfort her. sickness and
death come to US everywhere"


"Ah but they come lighter on us at home
At least, if the grief is the same, it's easier to
bear It's hard thing to lose children any
where. I've lost two before this, in my early
married life; but when you can lay them
along aide of one another, and of all the fam