52 EARLY DAY STORIES. 



place where now stands the city of Payette, Idaho. The 

 next morning it was my day off, and borrowing from a 

 member of our company a book entitled "Jo^^^i^^l of Travel 

 over the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia River," by Joel 

 Palmer, I lay down under a tree as soon as the train was 

 in motion and began to read. I was admonished by my 

 cousin not to stay too long, but to overtake the train before 

 noon, which of course I readily and faithfully promised to 

 do. Under existing circumstances such a book, as one can 

 readily see, was enchanting, in fact absorbing, and I for- 

 got all about time or place. The sun grew hot and two 

 or three times I changed my position to secure shade — 

 train after train passed along and I continued to read. At 

 last when the book was finished the sun was well down in 

 the west, and I knew it would be dark before I could over- 

 take the train. But I was light on foot then, was wearing 

 moccasins, and had no coat — coat and rifle having been left 

 in the wagon, and besides I had had no dinner and was not 

 burdened with a full stomach — there was nothing to carry 

 but the book I had been reading. It was a good long stretch 

 to the next camping place which was called I think, mud 

 springs, and I knew I could overtake no wagons until I 

 reached that place, as that was the first water. Just at dark 

 I heard a dog bark ahead of me in the road, and looking 

 up saw two large brindled dogs that belonged to our train. 

 They had been hunting together, as they were accustomed 

 to do, and had now returned to the road looking for the 

 train, which of course, was their home. They were as glad 

 to see me as I was to see them. Going on in company with 

 the dogs, I expected surely to meet our folks at the springs 

 and so evidently did the dogs, judging from their actions, 

 but although there were three or four outfits in 'camp, our 

 train was not there. On inquiring for Knapp's train I was 

 told "It is about an hour ahead." That would mean about 



