Martha of California: A Story of the California Trail

  At the time I thought I was much injured because of not having morefood; but before we had come to the land of California I often lookedback upon that morning with longing, remembering the meal of corn breadand milk as though it was a feast.

  During all the long day, except for half an hour at noon, thepatient oxen plodded wearily on amid the rain, oftentimes sinkingfetlock-deep in the marshy places. Everything was damp and every placeuncomfortable, and at times it seemed as if I could no longer bear upunder the suffering.

  In order to teach me that, instead of grumbling, I ought to be thankfulfor the comforts I could enjoy, mother told me to look at those whowere exposed to the storm. I saw father and the other men walkingbeside the oxen, the rain pelting down upon them pitilessly; I heardthe cry of a baby in pain; and I soon came to understand that my lotwas far less hard than that of many others.

  She read me a lesson on patience and contentment, whatever mightbe my surroundings, until I grew ashamed of having shown myself sodisagreeable.

  MAKING CAMP IN A STORM

  Determined as I was to make the best of whatever might happen, Icould not but be disheartened when, nearly at nightfall, we halted tomake camp again. The rain was still descending like a cloud-burst;everything around us, including the bedding, seemed saturated withwater. Yet I saw the men spread the thin cloth tents, after the wagonshad been drawn up in a circle, or made into a corral as the travelerson the trail call it; I saw them wade ankle-deep in the mud, but withnever an impatient word or gesture. It appeared sufficient to them iftheir women and children could enjoy some little degree of comfort.

 

  Again we strove to do our cooking under the wagon covers, and again wewere in need of fuel. Ellen and I, with the skirts of our gowns overour heads for protection, scurried here and there, picking up twigs andcrying out with delight when we came upon a piece of wood as large asone's fist.

  You can well imagine what kind of supper we had that night. The insideof the wagon was filled with smoke, for the short length of stovepipedid not afford a strong draft, and mother labored, with the tearsstreaming down her cheeks, to fry as much bacon as would satisfy ourhunger.

  The smoke was so dense that we all wept, smiling even in the midst ofour seeming tears when father said, after he had milked the cows andhad brought in quite as much water as milk, that it was a questionwith him whether he could stand better the smoke or the rain. He wasinclined to think he had rather be soaked with water than cured like aham.

  Again Eben Jordan showed his kindness of heart, for he insisted uponhelping this man and that, milk the cows and herd the oxen and sheep,and he did whatever came to his hand, all the while humming "JoeBowers."

  When Eben came into our wagon later in the evening, Ellen and I treatedhim very kindly, for we were coming to understand that this boy, whofound so much pleasure in vexing us girls, was ever ready to do a goodturn to another, even when it cost him much labor and discomfort.

  A THUNDERSTORM

  During all that night it rained; but shortly after midnight there cameup such a terrific storm of thunder and lightning that it seemed as ifthe very heavens were bursting.

  Then all our men and boys were forced to go and quiet the cattle, forthe beasts were even as frightened as we girls were, and, so fathersaid, would have stampeded, leaving us to spend the next day searchingfor them on the prairies, had it not been for the precautions of ourpeople.

  When I complained to mother, just after father had gone out into thetempest, that this journey to California was nothing like what I hadpictured it, she said mildly that if I was growing disheartened now, itwould have been better had I never set out from Pike County, for thusfar matters had gone much to our convenience and that shortly we wouldfind real trials and real troubles.

  Next morning, however, my spirits rose, for the sun was shiningbrightly when I awoke; but word was passed around the camp thatinstead of setting off at once, we might spend two hours drying the bedclothing and such of our belongings as had been saturated during thestorm.

  Then there was presented such a scene as would have interested any onewho had never witnessed the like before. On every wagon tongue werehung blankets and garments of all kinds, and over the wheels of eachcart lay feather beds or bolsters, until it must have looked as ifevery member of our company had spent a day in washing, and was nowabout to do the ironing.

 

  Eben Jordan went here and there, aiding this one or that when he haddone what he might for his mother, all the while singing "My name itis Joe Bowers," until, even before our breakfast had been cooked, fullyhalf the company were joining in that foolish song. Mother said almostfretfully, when Ellen and I took up the refrain, that she wished thesenseless words had never been written, or that we had never heardthem.

  ANOTHER COMPANY OF PIKERS

  Although we started off late that morning, owing to the drying out, wehalted early in the afternoon, for we had come upon a company of menand women who, like ourselves, were bound for the land of California.The leader of the company was Colonel Russell.

 

  To my surprise and delight these people also proved to be Pikers,having come from a settlement about twenty miles south of our old home.You may readily fancy how enjoyable was that evening, when we visitedfrom wagon to wagon, listening to the stories of what had thus farhappened to the company, and repeating our own adventures, if such theycould be called.

  While we women and girls were thus engaged, the men of both companiesdecided to travel together, believing that by increasing the numberthere might be less danger from the Indians, for Eben Jordan said thatthe savages we saw at Independence were but imitations of the fiercerones whom we were most likely to meet before our journey's end.

  THE STOCK STRAY AWAY

  I suppose it was the excitement occasioned by the meeting with ColonelRussell's company, which caused our men in charge of the cattle to becareless during the evening and later in the night, for when morningcame we found that nearly all the oxen and a goodly number of the cowshad strayed from the camp and disappeared completely.

  When Eben Jordan first told us of this, I believed a great disasterhad come upon us; but straightway father and half a dozen of the othermen mounted the horses and set off across the prairie in search of themissing cattle, as if this was trouble to be expected.

  In fact, before many days passed, I came to look upon the straying orthe stampeding of the live stock as of little consequence.

  We had plenty of time to cook breakfast that morning while the men weresearching over the prairie for the cattle, and, much to my surprise,within three hours all the stock had been brought into the encampmentand we were making ready once more for the day's journey.

 

  Before noon we arrived at Blue Creek, where we had, as it seemed to me,much trouble because the trail leading to the stream was deep with mud,and the bottom of the creek so soft that our people were forced to wadewaist-deep on either side of the wagons, lest the wheels sink so fardown that the oxen would not be able to pull the heavy loads across.

  Again and again the men laid hold of the wheels, straining every muscleas the drivers of the cattle urged the patient beasts to their utmostexertions, and before all our company had crossed that small creekthe day was so nearly at an end that there was nothing left for us todo save camp once more, although we had traveled only six miles sincesetting out.

  Then came Sunday morning, when I believed we would remain idle, forit did not seem right that we should travel on the Lord's day; but, asfather said, while we were making such a long journey it was necessaryto push ahead during every hour of fair weather, and to take our day ofrest only when it was absolutely necessary.

  And so, instead of worshiping God as we would have done had weremained in Pike County, we went forward, fording two small creeks andjourneying over a dull, level plain, whereon, save flowers, nothing wasto be seen to delight the eye.

  AN INDIAN VILLAGE

  Within an hour of sunset
we came to a veritable Indian village,although there were not many of the savages living in it, and Ellen andI took advantage of this first opportunity to see the redskins in theirhomes.

  There were but four men, with perhaps a dozen women and children, allliving in lodges made of smoke-dried skins, and looking exceedinglydirty and disagreeable.

  We girls were not inclined to linger there long, although the Indianswere willing we should, and when our short visit had been brought toa close, they followed us, clustering around our wagons and waitingpatiently for food to be thrown to them.

 

  From this time on during a full week we continued to push steadilyforward, moving so slowly that even we girls could understand thejourney would be exceedingly long and wearisome.

  I WEARY WITH SO MUCH TRAVELING

  More than once did I reproach myself with having been so eager to leavePike County, and many times I said to myself that a girl who has ahappy home is indeed foolish to wish for a change, lest, like Ellen andme, they find, as mother often says, that they have jumped out of thefrying pan into the fire.

  One day was much like another. Now the trail would be hard underfootand the traveling easy, and again we would cross a stream, the bottomlands of which were so marshy that the oxen lugged and strained attheir yokes, until oftentimes it was necessary to double up the teamsin order that the heavy wagons could be pulled over the soft footing.

 

  The only thing I remember which came to break the monotony of the slowmarch was when, on a certain evening, father returned with his pocketsand hands full of wild onions which he had found on the prairie.Because our meals had consisted chiefly of corn bread and salted meat,I said to myself that now we would have a feast.

  But alas! those wild onions were like my dreams about traveling to theland of California. While they looked fair on the outside before beingcooked, they were so strong to the taste that one nearly choked intrying to eat them.

  EBEN'S BOASTS

  Eben Jordan, hearing of my disappointment, said with a laugh that whenwe came to the country where game was to be found he intended to bringinto camp all the fresh meat the company could eat, and one might havethought from the way the boy talked that he believed himself capable offeeding all our company unaided.

  It would have been well if Eben had contented himself with predictingthe marvels which he counted on performing; but, instead, he remindedme that before we had come into the Land of Promise I might bemore than willing to eat wild onions and "smack my lips over thedisagreeable food."

  It seems that he heard, while in Independence, of the sufferings ofsome people who had journeyed over that same trail, when they foundno game and their provisions were consumed before the march came to anend.

  It would have been better, so I said to him, if he had not repeatedsuch things, for surely we were getting all the discomfort that wasneeded to show how foolish we had been in leaving Pike County, where noone suffered from hunger or thirst, if he had a tongue in his head tomake known his desires.

  It seemed almost as if the boy was a real prophet, for within a fewhours Ellen and I did come to know what thirst--bitter, parchingthirst--was like.

  We had started out one morning when the rays of the sun beat down uponus so fervently that the wagon covering seemed to be no protection, andthe only relief we had was from the gentle breeze which was blowing,not with sufficient force to relieve our suffering, but enough toprevent us from being literally baked.

  SUFFERING WITH THIRST

  We drank, as did all our company, of the water which we carried in kegsstowed in the wagons, and gave no heed to the fact that the supply wasscanty, for until this time there had never been any lack of water.

  At noon even the breeze died away; there was not a cloud in the sky,the trail was smooth and hard, running over what father called thetableland of the prairie, and the heat so intense that there were timeswhen it surely seemed as if I could not longer continue to breathe.

  Then, when our sufferings were seemingly as great as they couldpossibly be, mother discovered that our store of water had beenexhausted, and called to father, asking that he get a supply from oneof the other wagons.

  It seemed strange to me then, and does even now, that at almost thesame time all our company had run short of water, and from one endof the long train to the other we could not beg enough to moisten ourtongues.

 

  Perhaps it was the knowledge that I could not quench my thirst whichcaused me to suffer more severely, and when father said we must travelno less than twelve miles before coming to any stream, my heart sankwithin me.

  Ellen was suffering quite as much as I, except that she had the goodsense to hold her peace, and mother, patient with me as ever, said allshe could to prevent me from dwelling too much upon my condition.

  Nor was I the only one in that company to suffer severely. Whenever thetrain came to a halt that the cattle might have a breathing spell, Icould hear the smaller children crying for something to drink, and onceduring the afternoon Eben Jordan came alongside our wagon, asking ifour water kegs were empty.

  Then I saw upon his face that look of eagerness and desire such as Ihad read on Ellen's, and when I told him we were suffering from thirsteven more than any other members of the company, he shook his head andreplied:--

  "It is the younger ones who suffer the most, Martha Early, for theycannot be made to understand that it is necessary to wait; while youand I, who are older, know it is only a case of grinning and bearing itas best we may."

  IN SEARCH OF WATER

  I was irritated because Eben should read me a lesson, for indeed hiswords sounded like a reproof. I turned away from him, saying to myselfthat if it was not possible to make the oxen move more rapidly, therewas danger of my dying, all of which was foolishness, even wickedness,as you will agree.

 

  To force the beasts to a more rapid pace was absolutely impossible.Already the sheep as well as the oxen were showing signs of exhaustionand panting for water. Their tongues were hanging out, and they movedslowly as if unable to go farther, while five of the cows had droppeddown on the trail as if dying.

  We were forced to leave them behind, fearing lest if time was spent intrying to get the beasts on their feet again, more of the stock wouldfall.

 

  I hardly knew how the remainder of that day passed, for I gave no heedto anything save my own suffering, thereby showing myself wickedlyselfish, until a great shout went up from those who were in advance,telling that at last, after what seemed like many, many long hours, wehad come within sight of a stream of water.

  Then the oxen, wild with thirst and smelling the dampness in the air,plunged forward as if in a fury, for the drivers were unable to holdthem in check.

  In a mad race went every yoke of the cattle, drawing the heavy wagonsthat lurched first on one side and then on the other as we went overthe uneven surface of the trail, until all the contents which had beenstowed so carefully were thrown violently about, while we girls andmother had the greatest difficulty to save ourselves from being flungout.

  QUENCHING OUR THIRST

  The oxen continued on until every yoke of them stood in the creek, andthere they halted, drinking eagerly until their sides swelled out as ifbursting.

  Regardless of the fact that our wagon was standing in not less thantwelve inches of water, Ellen and I leaped out and drank from thestream like dogs, too thirsty to wait longer.

  I have been in need of water many times since that day, but never haveI suffered so keenly, and I now understand that the distress whichwell-nigh overcame me was caused for the most part by my foolishlydwelling upon the lack of water, whereas if I had forced myself tothink of other matters, much pain might have been avoided.

  It was impossible to force the oxen across the creek, and we wereobliged to make camp on the easterly side, for it seemed as if theywould never have done with drinking.

  When they were so full that it was impossible to swallow anot
hermouthful, they refused to cross, but struggled to get among the richgrass which covered the bottom lands of the creek.

 

  After the horses, as well as the men and the cattle, had been thusrefreshed, half a dozen of our people, among whom was Eben Jordan, rodeback on the trail, hoping to drive in some of the cows that had fallenby the wayside. It was not until a late hour in the evening that theyreturned, bringing with them only two of the animals.

  Thus we suffered our first loss on the journey, and it seemed to mea most serious matter; but even before we had come to the trail whichled to California, the loss of even twice as many cattle could not havedisturbed me, for I had come to believe that we should arrive at thatLand of Promise, if indeed we were so fortunate as to survive, almostempty-handed, owing to the difficulties of the way which the beastscould not overcome.

  The next day's march was ended early in the afternoon, because then wehad come to a stream, and those who were familiar with the trail knewwe could not arrive at another place where water would be found untillate in the night.

  MAKING BUTTER

  So we encamped early, and mother decided to set about churning, forlong ago our store of butter had been exhausted. We had but a smallquantity of cream, all of which had been saved since morning.