till existed, away back in the hidden recesses of my heart.

This swearing and lashing went on until the heavily-loaded
prairie-schooner, swaying, swinging, and swerving to the edge of the
cut, and back again to the perpendicular wall of the mountain, would
finally reach the top, and pass on around the bend; then another would
do the same. Each teamster had his own particular variety of oaths, each
mule had a feminine name, and this brought the swearing down to a sort
of personal basis. I remonstrated with Jack, but he said: teamsters
always swore; "the mules wouldn't even stir to go up a hill, if they
weren't sworn at like that."

By the time we had crossed the great Mogollon mesa, I had become
accustomed to those dreadful oaths, and learned to admire the skill,
persistency and endurance shown by those rough teamsters. I actually
got so far as to believe what Jack had told me about the swearing being
necessary, for I saw impossible feats performed by the combination.

When near camp, and over the difficult places, we drove on ahead and
waited for the wagons to come in. It was sometimes late evening before
tents could be pitched and supper cooked. And oh! to see the poor jaded
animals when the wagons reached camp! I could forget my own discomfort
and even hunger, when I looked at their sad faces.

One night the teamsters reported that a six-mule team had rolled down
the steep side of a mountain. I did not ask what became of the poor
faithful mules; I do not know, to this day. In my pity and real distress
over the fate of these patient brutes, I forgot to inquire what boxes
were on the unfortunate wagon.

We began to have some shooting. Lieutenant Bailey shot a young deer,
and some wild turkeys, and we could not complain any more of the lack of
fresh food.

It did not surprise us to learn that ours was the first wagon-train
to pass over Crook's Trail. For miles and miles the so-called road was
nothing but a clearing, and we were pitched and jerked from side to side
of the ambulance, as we struck large rocks or tree-stumps; in some steep
places, logs were chained to the rear of the ambulance, to keep it from
pitching forward onto the backs of the mules. At such places I got out
and picked my way down the rocky declivity.

We now began to hear of the Apache Indians, who were always out, in
either large or small bands, doing their murderous work.

One day a party of horseman tore past us at a gallop. Some of them
r