was out of the question until the early hours of the morning,
for the night was made hideous by blasphemous language, howls of pain
and the ring of revolvers. The first call for grub found us ready and
much in need of a nerve quieter, which the old sinner laughingly
supplied; but no word from him of the night's bloody work. Taking me
to one side, he said, "Take no offence, but repeat nothing you hear or
see in these parts, and strictly mind your own business and a fellow
like you will get into no trouble." I thanked him and followed his
advice to the letter during my entire Western life.

THE FIRST CAMP

After that night's experience, we decided to pay our bill and become
acclimated to camp life. We had taken with us a tent, blankets and
three toy pistols, the latter entirely useless in that country, which
proved how ignorant we were of Western ways. We were not long in
finding a suitable camping spot a mile from the town and the same
distance from the many corrals of the great Western freighters and
pilgrims, as the immigrants were called. For miles we could see those
immense, white covered prairie schooners in corral formation. Hundreds
of oxen and mules were quietly grazing under the watchful eyes of
their herders in saddle. It was certainly a novel sight to the
tenderfoot.

We soon had our tent up and leaving one of our number in charge the
other two went to town for the necessary camp utensils and grub.
Immediately on our return supper was prepared and the novelty enjoyed.
After a three days' rest I started out to make the rounds of the
corrals in search of a driver's berth. All freighters had a wagon boss
and an assistant who rightfully had the reputation of being tyrants
when on the trail, using tact and discretion when in camp. A revolver
settled all disputes. On approaching them they treated me as well as
their rough natures would permit; but I did not take kindly to any of
them. They all told me that I was undersized, and too young to stand
the dangers and hardships of a trip. I returned to camp much
disappointed but not discouraged.

The following morning we proceeded to the large warehouses on the
river front, where all Western freighters were to be found. In those
days all emigrants and oxen and mule trains with freight going to the
far Western Territories would start from either Council Bluffs, Iowa,
Leavenworth, Kansas, Atchison or St. Joe, Missouri; Atchison being the
nearest point, a large majori