o turn us adrift here?" asked Simpson, who was anxious to
learn what was to become of himself and his men.

"No; I hardly am as bad as that. I'll give you enough provisions to last
you until you can reach Fort Bridger," replied Smith; "and as soon as
your cooks can get the stuff out of the wagons, you can start."

"On foot?" was the laconic inquiry of Simpson.

"Yes sir," was the equally short reply.

"Smith, that's too rough on us men. Put yourself in our place and see how
you would like it," said Simpson; "you can well afford to give us at
least one wagon and six yokes of oxen to convey us and our clothing and
provisions to Fort Bridger. You're a brute if you don't do this."

"Well," said Smith, after consulting a minute or two with some of his
company, "I'll do that much for you."

The cattle and the wagon were brought up according to his orders, and the
clothing and provisions were loaded on.

"Now you can go," said Smith, after everything had been arranged.

"Joe Smith, I think you are a mean coward to set us afloat in a hostile
country, without giving us our arms," said Simpson, who had once before
asked for the weapons, and had had his request denied.

Smith, after further consultation with his comrades, said: "Simpson,
you are too brave a man to be turned adrift here without any means of
defense. You shall have your revolvers and guns." Our weapons were
accordingly handed over to Simpson, and we at once started for Fort
Bridger, knowing that it would be useless to attempt the recapture of
our train.

When we had traveled about two miles we saw the smoke arising from our
old camp. The Mormons after taking what goods they wanted and could carry
off, had set fire to the wagons, many of which were loaded with bacon,
lard, hard-tack, and other provisions, which made a very hot, fierce
fire, and the smoke to roll up in dense clouds. Some of the wagons were
loaded with ammunition, and it was not long before loud explosions
followed in rapid succession. We waited and witnessed the burning of the
train, and then pushed on to Fort Bridger. Arriving at this post, we
learned that two other trains had been captured and destroyed in the same
way, by the Mormons. This made seventy-five wagon loads, or 450,000
pounds of supplies, mostly provisions, which never reached General
Johnson's command, to which they had been consigned.

CHAPTER VI.

HARD TIMES.

As it was getting very late in the fall, we were co