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pany transported its goods on two-wheeled carts, of abe 
which there were four, each drawn by two mules, and The Caravan 
loaded with 800 to 900 pounds. The rest put their 
packs on mules or horses, of which there were fifty to 
sixty in the caravan. Our first camp, Sapling Grove, 
was in a little hickory wood, with fresh spring water. 
Our animals we turned loose to graze in the vicinity. 
To prevent them from straying far, either the two 
fore feet, or the forefoot and hindfoot of one side 
are bound together with so-called ‘‘hobbles.” In order 
that they may easily be caught, they drag a long rope 
of buffalo leather (trail-rope). At night stakes 
(pickets) are driven into the earth at some distance 
from each other, and the animals are fastened to them 
by ropes. After we had attended to our animals, and 
had eaten our supper, we sprawled around a fire, and 
whiled away the evening with chatting and smoking; 
then wrapped ourselves in our woolen blankets,—the 
only bed one takes with one—and slept for the first 
time under our little tents, of which we had seven. 
At dawn, the leader rouses the camp with an inhar- 
monious: “Get up! Get up! Get up!” Every one 
rises. The first care is for the animals. They are 
loosed from their pickets and allowed an hour for 
grazing. Meanwhile we prepare our breakfast, strike 
our tents, and prepare for the start. The animals are 
driven in again, packed and saddled. We move off 
in corpore. We proceed at a moderate pace, in front 
the leader with his carts, behind him in line long 
drawn out the mingled riders and pack animals. In 
