reacherous stream, its sandy bottom
continuously shifting. At night the melted floods from the mountains
came down and rendered it deeper than during the day, when for the most
part it was scarcely more than knee deep. Yet here and there at any
time, undiscoverable to the eye, were watery pitfalls where the sand was
washed out, and in places there was shifting quicksand, dangerous for
man or animal.

"We'll have to boat across," said Auberry finally. "We couldn't get the
wagons over loaded." Wherefore we presently resorted to the old Plains
makeshift of calking the wagon bodies and turning them into boats, it
being thought probable that two or three days would be required to make
the crossing in this way. By noon of the following day our rude boats
were ready and our work began.

I was not yet strong enough to be of much assistance, so I sat on the
bank watching the busy scene. Our men were stripped to the skin, some of
the mountaineers brown almost as Indians, for even in those days white
hunters often rode with no covering but the blanket, and not that when
the sun was warm. They were now in, now out of the water, straining at
the lines which steadied the rude boxes that bore our goods, pulling at
the heads of the horses and mules, shouting, steadying, encouraging,
always getting forward. It took them nearly an hour to make the first
crossing, and presently we could see the fire of their farther camp, now
occupied by some of those not engaged in the work.

As I sat thus I was joined by Mandy McGovern, who pulled out her
contemplative pipe. "Did you see my boy, Andy Jackson?" she asked. "He
went acrost with the first bunch--nary stitch of clothes on to him. He
ain't much thicker'n a straw, but say--he was a-rastlin' them mules and
a-swearin' like a full-growed man! I certainly have got hopes that boy's
goin' to come out all right. Say, I heerd him tell the cook this mornin'
he wasn't goin' to take no more sass off n him. I has hopes--I certainly
has hopes, that Andrew Jackson '11 kill a man some time yit; and like
enough it'll be right soon."

I gave my assent to this amiable hope, and presently Mandy went on.

"But say, man, you and me has got to get that girl acrost somehow,
between us. You know her and me--and sometimes that Englishman--travels
along in the amberlanch. She's allowed to me quiet that when the time
come for her to go acrost, she'd ruther you and me went along. She's all
ready now, if you air."