Page:Marcus Whitman, Pathfinder and Patriot.djvu/43

Rh farther. The Company decided to try the experiment with him, as it would be for their interest in the future to take carts farther, and they took one of their carts along, putting Dr. Whitman in charge of both.

The first day they had some difficulty because of fallen timber in the river bottom, but at night the Doctor came into camp puffing and blowing, in good spirits » right side up, having upset the wagon only once, and the cart but twice. The next day the Company gave him two additional men to assist in exploring and locating the road and getting over the difficult places.

The day they reached Independence Bock there was a thrilling episode. The caravan came near being run over by a heavy herd of buffalo, which were hidden by the hills until the travelers were close upon them, and suddenly stampeded. The caravan, which was about two miles long, closed up as fast as possible, and the guard and every man that could be spared dashed out upon the head of the column of buffalo pouring down from the hills ad if there were no end to it. On they came, in spite of many rifles pouring powder and balls into them trying to turn them off. The head of the column seemed about to strike the caravan amidships, and the men, still striving to turn aside the buffalo, were actually mingling with the travelers. The horses and mules were snorting and bounding to break their lines and be off, and it seemed as if nothing could save the party from being trampled to death or stripped of their animals. But at last kind Providence interposed, the leaders yielded to the shower of balls, turned to the right, and the living torrent of "God's cattle upon a thousand hills" swept alongside the caravan with eyes gleaming fire, uttering a terrible, unearthly groan, and causing the earth to tremble by the tramp of their countless thousands, leaving a dozen or so lying dead on the ground. "The scene," says Mr. Spalding, "was fearful, thrilling and grand beyond the power of language."

Mrs. Spalding's health was very poor much of the way, especially after reaching the buffalo country, for after that there was no bread, no food but buffalo meat, and it did not agree with her. Sometimes she seemed to eat nothing, but to subsist on the odor of camphor and spirits of turpentine and