58 A CALIFORNIA TRAMP. 



out befoj^e them, refused to pull at first ; but a proper amount 

 of buckskin and yelling being judiciously applied by their 

 mentors, they were at last induced to change their opinions, 

 and the wagons slowly began to move. In spite of the 

 remedies administered, they would soon stop, for the wheels 

 were continually sinking, and the cattle, from hard driving 

 and scanty food, were badly broken down. Again, after re- 

 peated efforts, we would start, soon to be brought to a full 

 stop, however ; and we were sometimes obliged to unload the 

 freight and pack it to a neighboring sand-bar until we could 

 again get under way. And so it went on, until at length, 

 after laboring tediously and yelling assiduously, the pioneer 

 wagons of our caravan'were across the Platte, and at last stood 

 dripping on the opposite shore. The teams now started back 

 for another quartette of w^agons, which were got over in due 

 time. Throughout the day the river was alive with excite- 

 ment by the shouting of the drivers, the loud cracking of 

 their terrible whips, the struggling oxen, turning from the 

 right to the left as they strained every muscle to move the 

 reluctant wagons, splashing the water all about them in their 

 mad plunges, and the re-crossing of the long columns after 

 other wagons. After having made several excursions back 

 and forth, we at last had the great satisfaction of seeing the 

 last wagon ascending the northern shore of the South Platte. 

 Grass being scarce around the ford, we were compelled to 

 take the herd two miles up the valley, where we found toler- 

 ably good pasturage. About the middle of the night the 

 cattle made a stampede for the islands of the river, from which 

 they were dislodged with much difficulty, some of them not 

 being found until noon the next da}^ The day consequently 

 was far gone before we got under way. We at length began 

 the ascent of the toilsome steep leading to the broad plateau, 

 extending between the valleys of the north and south forks of 

 the Platte. When near the summit we met a small band of 



