It was on this night, when we had our first view of the Great Salt
Lake, that Eben Jordan gave us a most pleasing surprise. We had
halted quite early in the afternoon, and even before camp was made he
disappeared; but I gave no heed to the matter when I heard his mother
inquiring after him, for I thought the boy had gone off to try his
skill as a hunter again.
[Illustration]
Two or three hours later, however, it appeared that, instead of chasing
deer or bears, he had turned fisherman for the time being, and when
he came into camp just before we began to get supper, he had with him
seventeen of the most beautiful trout you could imagine, which he had
caught in one of the mountain streams.
They were so large that he literally staggered under the weight, and
the single fish which he gave mother made an ample meal for all our
family. It surely was delicious, and while eating it I made a mental
resolve never again to speak impatiently or angrily to Eben, whatever
he might do, for many times since our journey began he had been very
kind to us all.
It really began to seem as if, after we had turned into the California
trail, we were to come across everything which was strange and
wonderful, for next day, after our train had rounded the base of one
of the mountains, we came upon six or seven springs of water which was
actually hot to the touch, as if on the point of boiling, and which
smelled so strongly of sulphur that one would have been in danger of
suffocation had the fumes been inhaled.
Those odd springs seemingly came up out of the solid rock, and mother,
whose curiosity was so far aroused as to induce her to taste of the
water, said it was bitter and most disagreeable; but she had no doubt
it might be well for us all to take fairly strong doses by way of
medicine.