am would haul it
out. After looking the situation over, we put our wits to work for some
means of crossing, and finally hit upon what proved to be a feasible
plan. A part of the men stripped off, plunged in and made their way
through to the opposite bank. We then led the animals up, one at a time,
secured a good strong lariat around its neck, and threw the end of it
across to the men on the other side. Then we just pushed the brute into
the ditch and the men ahold of the lariat pulled him through. We then
did up our traps in light bundles and threw them across. After
everything else was over, we took turns in being pulled through at the
end of the lariat. This was a successful way of getting over, but, O my!
we were the dirtiest lot of men and animals one ever saw. We were
little more than one-quarter mile from Raft River, and we lost no time
in getting there and wading out in the clear, running water, about two
feet deep, with rocky bottom, where we and the animals were washed sleek
and clean.

Leaving the river we entered a narrow defile in the mountain, where
horses and men were crowded close together. One of the men having a
rifle with the hammer underneath the barrel attempted to mount his horse
without stopping and accidentally discharged his gun, the shot shot
taking effect in the horse's side. As I happened to be walking on the
other side of the wounded horse I was fortunate in not getting some part
of the discharge. We pulled the pack off the horse and led him a few
steps off the road, where he soon fell dead.

We camped for the night farther up this ravine. It was the same place
where, a few years afterward, some immigrants were massacred, when a
part of the Wright family was killed and others badly wounded. Years
afterward I became well acquainted with the survivors. Their description
of the place and its surroundings left no doubt in my mind that our
ravine camping-spot was identical with that of their massacre.

Our passage up Goose Creek Valley was extremely slow and difficult, the
valley in places being no wider than the road, while in other places
rocks and streams were so thick and close together that the way was
almost impassible. We camped in this valley at nightfall, and, as there
was no feed in sight for the animals, several of us took them up on the
mountain side and gave them a feed of bunch grass, one man and myself
remaining to guard them.

Very soon a storm came up, dark clouds, deep thunde