Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/274

214 buffaloes except for meat, as their wanton destruction would arouse the wrath of the Indians, who claimed them as their natural food and clothing.

The journey as far as The Dalles was, therefore, uneventful as far as danger and exciting incidents were concerned. The only excitement was a cattle stampede caused by a stray dog frightening a yoke of oxen, making them swerve and break the wagon tongue. Their fright soon caused a riot among the loose cattle, which were a short distance behind the wagons. They would soon overtake the wagons carrying the women and children and there was great danger of the oxen and horses joining the stampede; so the drivers hurriedly unhitched the horses and oxen and let them go if they would, thus the wagons and occupants would be saved by being left behind. The results of the stampede were several disabled oxen, a few broken wagon wheels and a two days' layover. This delay gave both cattle and our people a much needed rest. They found, however, that the best plan was to move every day, if only for a few miles.

They forded every river from the Big Kaw, where Kansas City now stands, to Oregon City. They had no steep hills to climb till they reached the Blue Mountains and they were not to be compared with Laurel Hill in the Cascades.

When they reached Fort Hall, a decision had to be made between California and Oregon. About half of the company decided to go to California. But, Barlow said he was determined to drive his team into the Willamette valley or "leave his bones on the way." They crossed the Snake river at or near the Great American Falls and again, again, and again at various points; thence, over the Boise river to its mouth at Fort Boise. In some crossings they had to raise the wagon beds a foot higher. The next crossing was on the Malheur. It was here that Steve Meek proposed his famous (?) "cut-off," to The