A DAY OX THE PLAINS. 35 



for a troop of oxen. About half the men were Missourians, the 

 rest odds and ends of human driftwood, floating around Kan- 

 sas, waiting for some eddying current to draw them in. Some 

 of these were lazy and worthless, and imposed additional bur- 

 dens upon the willing ones. They were paid twenty-six dollars 

 per month and found, and were furnished with " outfits " of 

 blankets and clothing at starting, which was charged up to 

 them. About the first night out the term " found " would not 

 apply to some of them, for they ran away and were "lost to 

 sight," though to the memory of their employers dear. 



The wagons, on account of unseasoned timber being used in 

 their make, were a source of much trouble. Only four of our 

 twenty-six went through. Sometimes we would have to take 

 the wheels ofi" at our noon rests and soak them in the river. 

 Those with wooden axles ran easier than those of iron. Many 

 of the wagons were made East and sent to Kansas by New 

 Orleans. 



I left our men some time back yoking up. At the command 

 each man starts with a rush for his "off-wheeler." To pick him 

 out of a herd of over three hundred excited oxen is a diffi- 

 cult job. They must be yoked seriatim, so that no matter how 

 many of the other eleven you see, you must get that particu- 

 lar one. Tearing through the surging mass, for you are some- 

 times on a race, the " off ox " at last is found, one end of 

 the yoke attached, with more or less trouble, and he is pulled 

 and driven to the rear of your wagon which, like all the rest, 

 is towards the centre of the corral. Then you run around 

 among the herd after the "nigh-wheeler," which after much 

 tribulation is found and driven up and yoked to his mate. 

 These are then taken outside and put to the tongue. The 

 next to find are the leaders, which, when yoked, are chained 

 to the wheels, when the rest are brought up in order and the 

 five yokes chained together, every ox and yoke in its regular 

 place. The men first mark their oxen that they may know 



