Mary Sabin Powell's Story ... continued

page 13

One day three men went out to shoot a buffalo. The buffalo attacked a horse and ripped its sides. We didn't get any meat that day. Later a crowd of boys went out and shot a steer. That day we had beef.
Our bake kettle now came in handy. We put twenty pieces of meat, (each piece about fifty cents worth of beef) into our bake kettle. In this way we cooked for about twenty families. There being no wood we gathered buffalo chips and built a hot fire under the kettle.

One night a brother made us a present of a piece of steak. The hour was real late, but Mother was anxious to get it partly baked in order that it might not spoil. I undertook to do the baking all by myself. The fire was quite a distance from the tent. I sat by it watching the kettle until I fell asleep. That night the guard came and tapped me on the shoulder.
"Are you Bro. Powell's girl?"
"Yes."
"You go to bed. I'll finish your meat for you," he said.
"But I've promised Mother to do it, I cannot break my word," said I.
"You are too tired little girl," said he, "Run along. I'll bake your meat."
"But there are a couple of dogs in camp. I'm afraid they'll get it after it is baked," I said.
"Never worry, I'll put it in a safe enough place," said he. "Don't worry, go to bed."
Trusting his promise I crept inside of Father's tent. I must have gone to sleep the moment I touched the pillow.
In the morning I was awakened by Father's heavy laughter. Bro. Card's wagon tongue was propped into a perpendicular position. On the end of the wagon tongue hung our bake kettle. The sight of it way up in the air made a great round of laughter as we came outside the tent to take the morning air.

I was my habit to get up early and sit outside of Father's tent to drink in the cool morning breeze. It rested me for the remainder of the day.

Some days we traveled more than thirty miles to reach water. Often we would come to a place where the springs had dried down. It might be near midnight. Then the little children would form a circle of eager watchers while the men dug down several feet to water. At last when they saw the chunks of wet mud they would lay it on their face and hands. Some of them would suck the water from the mud. When the water burst forth it was usually very thick. The children drank heartily, straining it through their teeth. The next morning it looked quite clear.

We saw water for miles before we reached the Platte River. The distance was very deceiving. The water seemed much nearer to me than it really was. Mother was getting faint with thirst. There was a selfish old man in camp that did not offer her a swallow from the water in his canteen. It made me quite vexed. That day I walked more than ten miles extra to get Mother a drink. I ran part of the way but secured drinking water for her.

back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 next