TRIP THROUGH THE NATCHESS PASS—[CONTINUED.]
The start for the high table desert lands bordering the Yakima Valley
cut me loose from all communication, for no more immigrants were met
until I reached the main traveled route beyond the Columbia River. I
speak of the "desert lands" adjacent to the Yakima from the standpoint
of that day. We all thought these lands were worthless, as well as the
valley, not dreaming of the untold wealth the touch of water would
bring out. The road lay through a forbidding sage plain, or rather
an undulating country, seemingly of shifting sands and dead grass of
comparatively scant growth. As the sun rose, heat became intolerable.
The dust brought vivid memories of the trip across the plains in
places. The heated air trembling in the balance brought the question of
whether or not something was the matter with my eyes or brain; whether
this was an optical illusion, or real, became a debatable question in
my mind. Strive against it with all my might, my eyes would rest on the
farther horizon to catch the glimpse of the expected train, till they
fairly ached. Added to this, an intolerable thirst seized upon me, and
compelled leaving the road and descending into the valley for water.
Here I found as fat cattle as ever came to a butcher's stall, fed on
this selfsame dead grass, cured without rain. These cattle belonged to
the Indians, but there were no Indians in sight. The incident, though,
set me to thinking about the possibilities of a country that could
produce such fat cattle from the native grasses. I must not linger
off the trail; and take chances of missing the expected train, and so
another stretch of travel, of thirst, and suffering came until during
the afternoon, I found water on the trail, and tethered my pony for
his much needed dinner, and opened my sack of hard bread to count the
contents, with the conclusion that my store was half gone, and so lay
down in the shade of a small tree or bush near the spring to take an
afternoon nap. Rousing up before sun down, refreshed, we (pony and I)
took the trail in a much better mood than before the nooning. When
night came, I could not find it in my heart to camp. The cool of the
evening invigorated the pony, and we pushed on. Without having intended
to travel in the night, I had, so to speak, drifted into it and finding
the road could be followed, though but dimly seen, kept on the trail
until a late hour, when I unsaddled and hobbled the pony. The saddle
blanket was brought into use, and I was soon off in dream land, and
forgot all about the dust, the trail or the morrow.
Morning brought a puzzling sense of helplessness that for the time,
seemed overpowering. I had slept late, and awoke to find the pony had
wandered far off on the hill side, in fact, so far, it required close
scanning to discover him. To make matters worse, his hobbles had become
loosened, giving him free use of all his feet, and in no mood to take
the trail again. Coaxing was of no avail, driving would do no good,
so embracing an opportunity to seize his tail again, we went around
about over the plain and through the sage brush in a rapid gait, which
finally lessened and I again became master of him. For the life of me
I could not be sure as to the direction of the trail, but happened to
take the right course. When the trail was found, the question came as
to the whereabouts of the saddle. It so happened that I took the wrong
direction and had to retrace my steps. The sun was high when we started
on our journey.
A few hundred yards travel brought feelings of uneasiness, as it was
evident that we were not on the regular trail. Not knowing but this was
some cut off, so continued until the Columbia River bluff was reached,
and the great river was in sight, half a mile distant, and several
hundred feet of lower level. Taking a trail down the bluff that seemed
more promising than the wagon tracks, I began to search for the road at
the foot of the bluff to find the tracks scattered, and any resemblance
of a road gone; in a word, I was lost. I never knew how those wagon
tracks came to be there, but I know that I lost more than a half day's
precious time, and again was thrown in a doubting mood as to whether I
had missed the long sought for train.
The next incident I remember vividly, was my attempt to cross the
Columbia just below the mouth of Snake River. I had seen but few
Indians on the whole trip, and in fact, the camp I found there on the
bank of the great river was the first I distinctly remember. I could
not induce them to cross me over. From some cause they seemed surly and
unfriendly. The treatment was so in contrast to what I had received
from the Indians on the Sound, that I could not help wondering what
it meant. No one, to my knowledge, lost his life by the hands of the
Indians that season, but the next summer all, or nearly all, were
ruthlessly murdered that ventured into that country unprotected.
That night I camped late, opposite Wallula (old Fort Walla Walla), in a
sand storm of great fury. I tethered my pony this time, rolled myself
up in the blanket, only to find myself fairly buried in the drifting
sand in the morning. It required a great effort to creep out of the
blanket, and greater work to relieve the blanket from the accumulated
sand. By this time the wind had laid and comparative calm prevailed,
and then came the effort to make myself heard across the wide river to
the people of the fort. It did seem as though I would fail. Traveling
up and down the river bank for half mile, or so, in the hope of
catching a favorable breeze to carry my voice to the fort, yet, all
to no avail. I sat upon the bank hopelessly discouraged, not knowing
what to do. I think I must have been two hours halloaing at the top of
my voice until hoarse from the violent effort. Finally, while sitting
there, cogitating as to what to do, I spied a blue smoke arising from
the cabin, and soon after a man appeared who immediately responded to
my renewed efforts to attract attention. The trouble had been they were
all asleep, while I was in the early morning expending my breath.
Shirley Ensign, of Olympia, had established a ferry across the Columbia
River, and had yet lingered to set over belated immigrants, if any
came. Mr. Ensign came over and gave me glad tidings. He had been out on
the trail fifty miles or more, and had met my people, whom he thought
were camped some thirty miles away, and thought that they would reach
the ferry on the following day. But I would not wait, and, procuring
a fresh horse, I started out in a cheerful mood, determined to reach
camp that night if my utmost exertions would accomplish it. Sundown
came and no signs of camp; dusk came on, and still no signs; finally, I
spied some cattle grazing on the upland, and soon came upon the camp
in a ravine that had shut them out from view. Rejoicings and outbursts
of grief followed. I inquired for my mother the first thing. She was
not there; had been buried in the sands of the Platte Valley, months
before; also a younger brother lay buried near Independence Rock. The
scene that followed is of too sacred memory to write about, and we will
draw the veil of privacy over it.
Of that party, all are under the sod save one—Mrs. Amanda C. Spinning,
then the wife of the elder brother so often heretofore mentioned.
With fifty odd head of stock, seven wagons, and seventeen people, the
trip was made to the Sound without serious mishap or loss. We were
twenty-two days on the road, and thought this was good time to make,
all things considered. Provisions were abundant, the health of the
party good and stock in fair condition. I unhesitatingly advised the
over-mountain trip; meanwhile cautioning them to expect some snow, a
goodly amount of hard labor, and plenty of vexation. How long will it
take? Three weeks. Why, we thought we were about through. Well, you
came to stay with us, did you? But what about the little wife and the
two babies on the island home? Father said some one must go and look
after them. So, the elder brother was detailed to go to the island
folks, whilst I was impressed into service to take his place with the
immigrants. It would hardly be interesting to the general reader to
give a detailed account, even if I remembered it well, which I do not.
So intent did we all devote our energies to the one object, to get
safely over the mountains, that all else was forgotten. It was a period
of severe toil and anxious care, but not more so than to others that
had gone before us, and what others had done we felt we could do, but
there was no eight-hour-a-day labor, nor any drones; all were workers.
I had prepared the minds of the newcomers for the worst, not forgetting
the steep hills, the notched logs, and rough, stony fords, by telling
the whole story. "But do you really think we can get through?" said
father. "Yes, I know we can, if every man will put his shoulder to the
wheel." This latter expression was a phrase in use to indicate doing
one's duty without flinching, but in this case, it had a more literal
meaning, for we were compelled often to take hold of the wheels to
boost the wagons over logs, and ease them down on the opposite side, as
likewise, on the steep mountain side. We divided our force into groups;
one to each wagon to drive, four as wheelmen, as we called them, and
father with the women folks on foot, or on horseback, with the stock.
God bless the women folks of the plains; the immigrant women, I mean.
A nobler, braver, more uncomplaining people were never known. I have
often thought that some one ought to write a just tribute to their
valor and patience; a book of their heroic deeds. I know this word
valor is supposed to apply to men and not to women, but I know that the
immigrant women earned the right to have the word, and all it implies,
applied to them. Such a trip with all its trials is almost worth the
price to bring out these latent virtues of the so-called weaker sex.
Strive, however, as best we could, we were unable to make the trip in
the allotted time, and willing hands came out with the brother to put
their shoulders to the wheels, and to bring the glad tidings that all
was well on the island home, and to release the younger brother and the
father from further duty, when almost through to the settlements.
Do you say this was enduring great hardships? That depends upon the
point of view. As to this return trip, for myself, I can truly say that
it was not. I enjoyed the strife to overcome all difficulties, and so
did the greater number of the company. They felt that it was a duty and
enjoyed doing their duty. Many of them, it is true, were weakened by
the long trip across the Plains, but with the better food obtainable,
and the goal so near at hand, there was a positive pleasure to pass
over the miles, one by one, and become assured that final success was
only a matter of a very short time.
One day, we encountered a new fallen tree, as one of the men said,
a whopper, cocked up on its own upturned roots, four feet from the
ground. Go around it, we could not; to cut it out seemed an endless
task with our dulled, flimsy saw. Dig down, boys, said the father, and
in short order every available shovel was out of the wagons and into
willing hands, with others standing by to take their turn. In a short
time the way was open fully four feet deep, and oxen and wagons passed
through under the obstruction.