the tent. It
struck us at once that it would be well to pitch it where it lay on our
old camping-ground. Wherever we might be Indians would find us out, so
that it would make no difference whether we were in or out of the wood,
and we might see either emigrants to California moving west, or the post
to one of the forts, and thus obtain assistance. Obed and I soon got up
the tent. I sat down, and he made his shoulders serve as a prop while I
stuck in the pole, and thus in a few minutes we had a comfortable roof
over our heads.

While we were at work, it struck me that if I could make a sort of
sleigh, it would facilitate the operation of bringing in our goods. I
set to work immediately, and in the course of two days, manufactured a
machine which answered our purpose. The season was advancing, the
nights were getting cold, and there was no time to be lost in collecting
the articles which we might require to preserve our lives through the
winter, should no one, before it set in, pass that way to rescue us.
Accordingly, we once more proceeded on our expedition. Sometimes I
walked on my crutches, and at others Obed dragged me along on the
sleigh. Certainly we were a notable example of the advantage of two
people working in concert. Alone we must have perished; together,
though injured so severely, we were able to live and comfort each other.
We never had even the slightest dispute; and though surrounded by
difficulties and dangers, and anxious about our friends, we were far
from unhappy. I have often thought that if people who are living in the
midst of all sorts luxuries and advantages would but follow the example
of Obed Ragget and me, they would be very much the happier.

Our first care was to get the kegs of powder and shot, for our stock was
almost exhausted; and with those, and a bundle of blankets, we returned
to our tent.

To make a long story short, in the course of a week we had collected
everything to be seen; and had settled ourselves very comfortably in our
new home. We also surrounded our tent with stacks of firewood, which
would serve as a barricade should we be attacked, at any time, by the
red-skins.

The exertion we went through, however, had fatigued us excessively, and
opened our wounds afresh; so that for some days we were unable to quit
the precincts of our tent. We had made ourselves beds by placing sticks
close together on the ground, and covering them with leaves, over which
we spre