scued
by Howe and Lewis. Return to the Camp.

Mr. Duncan chose the trader's route to Oregon as the one most likely to
lead him to his desired haven. He was familiar with this route, having
frequently made it some years before. To Andy Howe, every rock, tree,
and river, was like the face of a friend so often had he passed them.
Mrs. Duncan had no misgivings when they entered on the forest. She had
so often heard the different scenes and places described as to
recognize the locality through which they passed, and with perfect
confidence in the forest craft of her brother and husband, she gave
herself no trouble, save that of making her family as comfortable and
pleasant as circumstances would allow.

No incident disturbed their journey, worthy of note, day after day as
they easily moved along. It was not Mr. Duncan's policy to exhaust his
teams at the outset by long weary marches; but like a skilful general,
husband his strength, in case of emergencies. The road was smooth and
level, being generally over large extended prairies.

The fifth day out they crossed the Kansas, when the country became more
broken, and they saw the first buffalo on their route, which Lewis had
the good luck to kill. With the aid of Howe it was cut up and the
choicest parts brought to camp. Never was a supper enjoyed with more
zest than that night. Delicious steaming beef stakes, wheat cakes,
butter, cheese, new milk and tea, spread out on a snow white cloth, on
their temporary table, to which they had converted two boards by
nailing sheets across the back, and resting each end on a camp stool,
made a feast worth travelling a few days into the wilderness to enjoy.

Their camp was pitched for the night on the mossy bank of a small
stream, overshadowed by large cotton-woods through which the stars
peered, and the new moon with its silvery crescent gleamed faintly as
the shadows of evening closed around them.

After night fall the party was thrown into quite an excitement by the
approach of figures which they supposed to be Indians, but which turned
out to be a herd of deer feeding. Howe laughed heartily at the fright,
for the Indians were to him as brothers. His father had been known and
loved for many acts of kindness to them, and had been dignified as the
great _Medicine_.[1] Accompanying his father on his trapping excursions,
while still a boy, he had spent many a day and night in their wigwams,
partaking of their hospitality, contending