CROSSING THE ROCKIES IN % 6i. 



55 



'AND WENT DOWN THE HILLSIDE. 



^vhich we drove a tandem, one Black- 

 foot Indian and a half-breed boy, as 

 driver and herdsman, and a colored 

 man engaged from the steamboat, as 

 cook. An old trapper, whom we had 

 engaged as guide was to meet us about 

 40 miles out toward the Rockies, but 

 just as we were starting, he sent word 

 that he had changed his mind, as he 

 feared Indian troubles, and had decided 

 to remain with his squaw and children. 

 My two friends agreed to go ahead, with 

 myself as leader. On the first day out, 

 we met with an accident, about 15 miles 

 from the Fort. In crossing a hill, with 

 •our cart and tandem, the leader took 

 an Indian trail which made a short cut, 

 instead of going over the top. The 



side of the hill was so steep that our 

 cart turned over, taking with it the two 

 horses and a dog, tied underneath, and 

 went down the hillside about 200 feet — 

 horses, cart and dog all mixed together. 

 Our flour, coffee and other provisions, 

 our tinware and personal effects were 

 scattered by the wayside. We looked 

 on, from the hill top, in dismay, and 

 after a few feeble remarks, appropriate 

 to the occasion, slid down to the wreck, 

 when we found, to our great relief, that 

 the only damage was a broken shaft, 

 and a few slight scratches on the horses 

 and the dog. We gathered up our duf- 

 fle, went into camp, and sent a mes- 

 senger back to the Fort for help. He 

 brought out the blacksmith and a new 



