e "Life of
Mrs. Fletcher" to entertain me, while the gentlemen explored the
premises, visited Mr. Kellogg's stock, and took a careful look at their
own. We had intended to go to Dixon's the same afternoon, but the snow,
beginning again to fall, obliged us to content ourselves where we were.

In the mean time, finding we were journeying to Chicago, Mr. Kellogg
came to the determination to accompany us, having, as he said, some
business to accomplish at that place: so Mrs. Kellogg busied herself in
preparing him to set off with us the following morning. I pleaded hard
to remain yet another day, as the following was Sunday, on which I
objected to travel; but in view of the necessities of the case, the
uncertainty of the weather, and the importance of getting as quickly as
possible through this wild country, my objections were overruled, and I
could only obtain a delay in starting until so late in the afternoon as
would give us just time to ride the sixteen miles to "Dixon's" before
sunset.

No great time was required for Mr. Kellogg's preparations. He would
take, he said, only two days' provisions, for at his brother-in-law
Dixon's we should get our supper and breakfast, and the route from there
to Chicago could, he well knew, be accomplished in a day and a half.

Although, according to this calculation, we had sufficient remaining of
our stores to carry us to the end of our journey, yet my husband took
the precaution of begging Mrs. Kellogg to bake us another bag of
biscuits, in case of accidents, and he likewise suggested to Mr. Kellogg
the prudence of furnishing himself with something more than his limited
allowance; but the good man objected that he was unwilling to burden his
horse more than was absolutely necessary, seeing that, at this season of
the year, we were obliged to carry fodder for the animals, in addition
to the rest of their load. It will be seen that we had reason to rejoice
in our own foresight.

My experience of the previous night had rendered me somewhat less
fastidious than when I commenced my journey, so that, when introduced to
our sleeping-apartment, which I found we were to share with six men,
travellers like ourselves, my only feeling was one of thankfulness that
each bed was furnished with a full suit of blue checked curtains, which
formed a very tolerable substitute for a dressing-room.

CHAPTER XV.

ROCK RIVER--HOURS OF TROUBLE.

It was late on the following day (March 13th) w