50 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



sunrise they were to be driven to camp. Do not think that 

 we with our wagon were alone at any time, even if we were 

 traveling by ourselves. There were wagons ahead, and 

 wagons behind us, all the time and in plain sight, unless 

 for a short time it happened that our wagon was hidden in 

 some small valley. Mr. Knapp, who spent much of his time 

 on horseback soon picked up some emigrants with three or 

 four wagons and directly thereafter three or four more, 

 making a train of eight wagons in all, and about twenty- 

 four persons, men, women and children. This train was, 

 from that time on to the end of the journey, known as 

 Knapp's train. It just came to be known as such because 

 Knapp was the most prominent and best known person of 

 the company, but not because he was captain, for we had 

 no captain or other officers, nor any rules or regulations. 

 Mr. Knapp was the leader always selected the camping 

 places, going on ahead with the pony for that purpose, and 

 as he had good sense and good judgment, his plans were 

 always followed and his suggestions adopted. However, he 

 never assumed to command, or even to take the lead, but 

 consulted with the others as if desirous of getting their 

 opinions, but somehow his opinions were always satisfac- 

 tory and were followed out without objection. 



I was the only one in the company, as I now remember, 

 who ever gave any trouble; but I was a constant source 

 of anxiety to my cousin and in a less degree to Mr. Knapp. 

 As stated before my cousin and I each had a day on and a 

 day off; our duties were light and easily performed; the 

 oxen had become thoroughly broken, and would mind at the 

 word. Our lead team of oxen were called Tom and Tim 

 it was the easiest thing in the world to turn them out of 

 the track either to the left or right, even when the driver 

 was away back by the wheel oxen, by calling out, "Whoa, 



