to equip myself in
a tolerable manner. I bought a wagon and two pair of stout oxen. This
was to carry my wife and children, with such furniture and provisions as
would be necessary on the journey. I had no need to hire a teamster, as
our faithful Cudjo was to accompany us, and I knew there was no better
hand to manage a team of oxen than Cudjo. For myself I purchased a
horse, a rifle, with all the paraphernalia that are required by those
who cross the great prairies. My boys, Harry and Frank, had also a
small rifle each, which we had brought with us from Virginia: and Harry
was very proud of the manner in which he could handle his.

"Everything being prepared, we bade adieu to Saint Louis, and set forth
upon the wild prairies.

"Ours was but a small caravan, as the large one which crosses annually
to Santa Fe had taken its departure some weeks before. There were about
twenty men of us, and less than half that number of wagons. The men
were nearly all Mexicans, who had been to the United States to procure
some pieces of cannon, for which they had been sent by the governor of
Santa Fe. They had the cannon along with them--two brass howitzers,
with their carriages and caissons.

"My friends, I need not tell you the various incidents that befell us,
in crossing the great plains and rivers that lie between Saint Louis and
Santa Fe. Upon the plains we fell in with the Pawnees; and near the
crossing of the Arkansas, we encountered a small tribe of Cheyennes; but
neither of these bands offered us any molestation. When we were nearly
two months on our journey, the party left the usual trail taken by the
traders, and struck across to one of the head tributaries of the
Canadian river. This they did to avoid meeting the Arapahoes, who were
hostile to the Mexican people. We kept down the banks of this stream as
far as the Canadian itself; and, then turning westward, travelled up the
latter. We travelled upon the right or southern bank, for we had forded
the Canadian on reaching it.

"It soon became apparent that we had got into a very rough and difficult
country. It was the morning of the second day, after we had turned
westward up the Canadian river. We were making but slow progress, as
the trail we had to follow was intersected at frequent intervals with
`arroyos' running into the river from the south. Many of these were
deep ditches, although quite dry; and every now and then we were
compelled to stop the whol