Mary Sabin Powell's Story ... continued

page 12

While we were camped at Florence Father secured work. He laid the foundation, also dressed the corner-stone for the first court-house in Omaha. He received eight dollars per day. He needed this money for said he, "I cannot let my children go barefooted across the plains."
Father bought me a pair of shoes, the ugliest I've ever seen in all my life. It was the best he could get.

From Florence, Nebraska, began our real journey across the plains. All our other experiences had not been a foretaste of what lay ahead of us. There were two hundred and seven souls in our company.

Our first day's march commenced about noon. We went through acres of hazel brush covered with hazel nuts in the mill. I began gathering nuts, others joined me and we ate a good many.
That night we camped by a stream. The next day we traveled out into the prairies and didn't see any houses at all. One afternoon Father noticed Bro. Jones pull away and halt by the side of the road.
"What is the matter, Bro. Jones?" asked Father.
"I see danger ahead," said Bro. Jones, "I promised Ann's father I wouldn't lead her into suffering. I see danger ahead."
Bro. Jones and his wife remained in Omaha. Bro. Jones being a butcher by trade, likely secured work. Father said we should give him due credit for keeping his word to Ann's father.

Now we halted preparing for the crossing of a stream on a ferry. The dark green forest was all around us. I grabbed a bucket and ran into the woods and picked it full of black berries. I took some little girls with me. Someone in camp began worrying about us. Bro. Oakley said, "Don't worry, she'll come back, she always does."
When I came out with my blackberries they all cheered. As often as I could I ran into the woods. I loved the hills, woods, moss, and hanging grape vines and wild flowers. There were so many birds. Their joy notes swelling in the woods brought a flood of rapture into my soul.
The fifth day out we reached a little trading post. The men here sold tobacco to the Indians, also trinkets of various kinds.

Each morning at day break the bugle sounded. Up we rose and assembled for prayer. We then ate a scanty breakfast of dough cakes fried in the frying pan. Once in a while we had a few stewed apples. Then we were ready for our march. At ten o'clock we rested one half hour. Then we traveled until we came to water. At the next meal we would eat what was left over from breakfast. At night we often went to bed without supper. There was very little food to cook and we were too tired to cook it.

There were twenty on persons in Father's big round tent which we pitched every night. We spread down quilts and blankets and went to sleep.

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