companion for her son, and she was very anxious to have me go with some
other wagon-master; but I still insisted upon remaining with Simpson.

"Madam, I can assure you that Lew. Simpson is one of the most reliable
wagon-masters on the plains," said Mr. Russell, "and he has taken a great
fancy to Billy. If your boy is bound to go, he can go with no better man.
No one will dare to impose on him while he is with Lew. Simpson, whom I
will instruct to take good care of the boy. Upon reaching Fort Laramie,
Billy can, if he wishes, exchange places with some fresh man coming back
on a returning train, and thus come home without making the whole trip."

This seemed to satisfy mother, and then she had a long talk with Simpson
himself, imploring him not to forget his promise to take good care of her
precious boy. He promised everything that she asked. Thus, after much
trouble, I became one of the members of Simpson's train. Before taking
our departure, I arranged with Russell, Majors & Waddell that when my pay
should fall due it should be paid over to mother.

As a matter of interest to the general reader, it may be well in this
connection to give a brief description of a freight train. The wagons
used in those days by Russell, Majors & Waddell were known as the "J.
Murphy wagons," made at St. Louis specially for the plains business. They
were very large and were strongly built, being capable of carrying seven
thousand pounds of freight each. The wagon-boxes were very
commodious--being as large as the rooms of an ordinary house--and were
covered with two heavy canvas sheets to protect the merchandise from the
rain. These wagons were generally sent out from Leavenworth, each loaded
with six thousand pounds of freight, and each drawn by several yokes of
oxen in charge of one driver. A train consisted of twenty-five wagons,
all in charge of one man, who was known as the wagon-master. The second
man in command was the assistant wagon-master; then came the "extra
hand," next the night herder; and lastly, the cavallard driver, whose
duty it was to drive the lame and loose cattle. There were thirty-one men
all told in a train. The men did their own cooking, being divided into
messes of seven. One man cooked, another brought wood and water, another
stood guard, and so on, each having some duty to perform while getting
meals. All were heavily armed with Colt's pistols and Mississippi yagers,
and every one always had his weapons handy so a