lready broken at the hub of the ruined
wheel, and after jacking up the hind axle, attached the "crutch." By
cutting a half notch in the larger end of the pole, so that it fitted
over the front axle, lashing it there securely, and allowing the other
end to trail behind on the ground, we devised a support on which the
hub of the broken wheel rested, almost at its normal height. There was
sufficient spring to the pole to obviate any jolt or jar, while the
rearrangement we had effected in distributing the load would relieve
it of any serious burden. We took a rope from the coupling pole of the
wagon and loosely noosed it over the crutch, which allowed leeway in
turning, but prevented the hub from slipping off the support on a
short turn to the left. Then we lashed the tire and felloe to the
front end of the wagon, and with the loss of but a couple of hours our
commissary was again on the move.

The trail followed the Sweet Grass down to the Yellowstone; and until
we reached it, whenever there were creeks to ford or extra pulls on
hills, half a dozen of us would drop back and lend a hand from our
saddle pommels. The gradual decline of the country to the river was in
our favor at present, and we should reach the ford in two days at the
farthest, where we hoped to find a wheelwright. In case we did not,
our foreman thought he could effect a trade for a serviceable wagon,
as ours was a new one and the best make in the market. The next day
Flood rode on ahead to Frenchman's Ford, and late in the day returned
with the information that the Ford was quite a pretentious frontier
village of the squatter type. There was a blacksmith and a wheelwright
shop in the town, but the prospect of an exchange was discouraging, as
the wagons there were of the heavy freighting type, while ours was a
wide tread--a serious objection, as wagons manufactured for southern
trade were eight inches wider than those in use in the north, and
therefore would not track on the same road. The wheelwright had
assured Flood that the wheel could be filled in a day, with the
exception of painting, and as paint was not important, he had decided
to move up within three or four miles of the Ford and lie over a day
for repairing the wagon, and at the same time have our mules reshod.
Accordingly we moved up the next morning, and after unloading the
wagon, both box and contents, over half the outfit--the first and
second guards--accompanied the wagon into the Ford. They