have. But their cost here was far beyond their
most extravagant estimates. When Mr. Howell was reminded by his
brother-in-law how he had said that no politics could interfere with
trade and prices, he was amused.

"Of course," he said, "it does look as if these Missourians would not
sell at fair prices because they want to hinder us; but don't you see
that the demand is greater than the supply? I know these folks are
bitterly hostile to us; but the reason why they have so small a stock
of goods on hand is that they have sold out to other free-State men
that have come before us to buy the same things. Isn't that so?"

Mr. Bryant was obliged to admit that this was a reasonable explanation;
but as he had begun by thinking that every Borderer hated a free-State
man and would do him an injury if he could, he did not give up that
notion willingly. He was certain that there was a plot in the high
prices of bacon, flour, corn-meal, and ploughs.

In this serious dilemma, Charlie came to the relief of the party with
the information that a free-State man, whose team had just recrossed
the river for a load of supplies sent him by a wagon that was to
return to Iowa, brought news that a large trading-post had been opened
at a new Kansas town called Quindaro. He said that the Iowa man told
him that prices were just now lower in Quindaro than they had ever
been in Parkville.

"Quindaro?" said Oscar, musingly;--"why, that must be an Indian
name,--feminine Indian name, too, unless I miss my guess."

Mr. Bryant had heard of Quindaro. It was a brand-new town, a few miles
down the river, settled by free-State men and named for a young,
full-blooded Indian girl of the Delaware tribe. The town was on the
borders of the Delaware reservation, which in those days came close to
the Missouri River. Charlie, also, had gathered some facts about the
town, and he added that Quindaro was a good place to start from, going
westward. The party had laid in a stock of groceries--coffee, tea, and
other articles of that description--before leaving home. Now they
needed staple provisions, a few farming tools, a breaking-plough, and
some seed corn. Few thought of planting anything but corn; but the
thrifty settlers from Illinois knew the value of fresh vegetables, and
they were resolved to have "garden truck" just as soon as seeds could
be planted and brought to maturity.

"And side-meat?" asked Sandy, wonderingly, as he heard his father
inquiring the pr