The Life of Hon. William F. Cody | Page 9

the emigrants were either resting or attending to camp
duties.
A large number of the wagons, as I learned from my father, belonged to
Majors & Russell, the great government freighters. They had several
trains there, each consisting of twenty-five wagons, heavily loaded with
government supplies. They were all camped and corraled in a circle.
While we were viewing this scene, a long wagon train came pulling up
the hill, bound out from Fort Leavenworth to some distant frontier post.
The cattle were wild and the men were whipping them fearfully, the
loud reports of the bull-whips sounding like gun-shots. They were
"doubling-up," and some of the wagons were being drawn by fifteen
yokes of oxen. I remember asking my father a great many questions,
and he explained to me all about the freighting business across the great
plains, and told me about the different government posts.
Pointing over to the army of wagons camped below us, he showed me
which were the Mormons' and which were the Californians', and said
that we must steer clear of the former as the cholera was raging among
them. Five hundred had died that spring--1853--and the grave-yard was
daily increasing its dimensions. The unfortunate people had been
overtaken by the dreadful disease, and had been compelled to halt on
their journey until it abated.
While we were looking at the Mormons they were holding a funeral
service over the remains of some of their number who had died. Their
old cemetery is yet indicated by various land-marks, which, however,
with the few remaining head-boards, are fast disappearing.

We passed on through this "Valley of Death," as it might then have
been very appropriately called, and after riding for some time, my
father pointed out a large hill and showed me his camp, which
afterwards became our home.
There was another trading-post near by, which was conducted by Mr.
M.P. Rively, who had a store built, partly frame, and partly of logs. We
stopped at this establishment for a while, and found perhaps a hundred
men, women and children gathered there, engaged in trading and
gossipping. The men had huge pistols and knives in their belts; their
pantaloons were tucked in their boots; and they wore large
broad-rimmed hats.
To me they appeared like a lot of cut-throat pirates who had come
ashore for a lark. It was the first time I had ever seen men carrying
pistols and knives, and they looked like a very dangerous crowd. Some
were buying articles of merchandise; others were talking about the
cholera, the various camps, and matters of interest; while others were
drinking whisky freely and becoming intoxicated. It was a busy and an
exciting scene, and Rively appeared to be doing a rushing trade.
At some little distance from the store I noticed a small party of
dark-skinned and rather fantastically dressed people, whom I
ascertained were Indians, and as I had never before seen a real live
Indian, I was much interested in them. I went over and endeavored to
talk to them, but our conversation was very limited.
That evening we reached our camp, which was located two miles west
of Rively's. The first thing I did was to hunt up my ponies, and from
my father's description of them, I had no difficulty in finding them.
They were lariated in the grass and I immediately ran up to them
supposing them to be gentle animals. I was greatly mistaken, however,
as they snorted and jumped away from me, and would not allow me to
come near them.
My father, who was standing not far distant, informed me that the
ponies were not yet broken. I was somewhat disappointed at this; and
thereupon he and one of his men caught one of the animals and bridled

her, then putting me on her back, led her around, greatly to my delight.
I kept petting her so much that she soon allowed me to approach her.
She was a beautiful bay, and I named her "Dolly;" the other pony was a
sorrel, and I called him "Prince."
In the evening some Indians visited the camp--which as yet consisted
only of tents, though some logs had been cut preparatory to building
houses--and exchanged their furs for clothing, sugar and tobacco.
Father had not learned their language, and therefore communicated
with them by means of signs. We had our supper by the camp-fire, and
that night was the first time I ever camped out and slept upon the
ground.
The day had been an eventful one to me, for all the incidents were full
of excitement and romance to my youthful mind, and I think no
apology is needed for mentioning so many of the little circumstances,
which so greatly interested me in my childhood's days, and which no