er, for it was a rough life
we were leading at the bush, and not fitted for such delicate beings.
Many of the men also had to drag hand sleighs, and, as it was, they were
obliged to leave behind them some of the heavier baggage. Old White Dog
volunteered to accompany us. He had been looking for the arrival of the
small remnant of his tribe, and as they had not appeared he began to
fear that they had fallen into the hands of their enemies. When all the
party had gone out, and proceeded some hundred yards, Obed and I went
back, by the directions of Laban, and put some food within reach of our
captives' mouths.

"They won't take a very pleasant meal, but they won't starve," observed
Obed, as we left them.

Laban, meantime, had undertaken to watch the old Indian and Noggin, whom
he suspected of an intention of going back and scalping our captives.
We, however, watched them so narrowly that they could not accomplish
their object. We now pushed on as rapidly as we could towards the
mountains, as it was most important that we should gain a secure
position at a considerable height before night. At first, where the
snow was beaten down, we went on merrily enough, but when the ascent of
the mountain really began, it was very heavy work for man and beast.
Our horses were not in good condition, as they had had nothing but dry
prairie grass and very little corn all the winter, but they were very
little animals, all bone and muscle, and had no weight of their own to
carry, at all events.

As we proceeded, we kept a very bright lookout behind us, both to the
north and south, to ascertain that we were not pursued.

At length we entered the pass in the mountains for which we had been
making, and here our difficulties began. High black cliffs towered
above our heads on each side to the height of many hundred feet, while
before us were masses of the wildest and most rugged mountains, over and
between which lay the path we had to pursue. Short, who had crossed the
mountains at this place two or three times, acted as our guide.
Frequently one party had to go ahead with spades and clear the way, and
we had also often to take out the horses, and drag on one sleigh, and
then come back and get the next. We had reason to be thankful that on
this occasion we had no enemy to molest us. Old White Dog was very much
astonished to see the men work as we did, and hinted that if he had the
direction of affairs, he should make the women labo