r friends adieu, we commenced our journey.

Arriving in St. Louis, we were greeted by Mr. Terhune who escorted us to
the Planters' Hotel, where we were temporarily to reside until the
steamboat on which we were to embark was ready to leave. The few days
spent in the metropolis of the West, was thoroughly enjoyed by our
little party, as under the guidance of our friend we visited all the
places of interest in the neighborhood. On Saturday, April 30th, we
embarked on the steamboat _Prairie Flower_, bound for Independence,
where we were to make the necessary purchases for our outfit in crossing
the plains, and were also to join a train that was being formed, and of
which we were to become part and parcel. After an uneventful journey we
reached Independence, only to find that the train we expected to join
had left two days previously; here was a dilemma, and we were at a loss
what to do. I was in favor of waiting until another train could be
formed, but father objected, stating as his reasons, that it would
consume both time and money; neither of which did we possess in vast
quantities. Meantime we had become the centre of attraction to quite a
motley crowd, who stood looking on, and seemed to take a lively interest
in us, criticising our appearance and indulging in various remarks which
were not always of a complimentary Character. Noticing an old
weather-beaten frontiersman, who stood some little distance off, and
thinking he could perhaps suggest a way out of our difficulty, I made up
to him, and after the usual salutations and a proffer of some tobacco,
to which he helped himself in rather large quantities, I asked him his
opinion, and what he thought we had best do under the circumstances.

Drawing his lank form out of the entanglement it seemed to have been in,
he delivered himself in somewhat the following manner:

"Wal stranger, pears to me, I would jist git rite arter that ere party,
quicker'n greased lightning, kase you see, they haint been gone long,
and if you drive yer animiles rite smart, you will ketch up in jist no
time."

This advice struck me as excellent, and returning to our party I
communicated it to them. We resolved to adopt it at once, only wondering
we had not thought of it before.

Having come to this determination, we busied ourselves with the
necessary preparations, and on the third day after the departure of the
train, we bade adieu to the few acquaintances made during our brief
sojourn at