Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/432



424 DIARY OF JASON LEE

driving the musketoes from the tent, and making- it as tight as possible, and then stopping occasionally to kill them off.

21. Finished my letters and made preparations to start after dinner. One of our horses was missing and I sent the boys to look for it, and told Messrs. E. & E. they had better go on to camp, which was to be only 3 or 4 mi. In the meantime Thomas' horse threw him and trod upon his knee, which swelled a good deal and the pain was extreme. By this time the camp was in motion and our horses became extremely uneasy.

I washed the knee in strong vinegar and commenced pack- ing the horses, one ran away with the saddle on, but we man- aged to get all the things on, and I told Wm. to drive them to camp but when we let them loose, each took his own course and away they galloped. Thomas was in great pain, and lying outside of the Fort, no invitation having been given to take him in. I asked a Kanaka to take him in, and went in quest of the horses.

After we had collected them and got them well under way, sent Wm. with them and returned. What to do with Thomas, was now a perplexing question. I at length determined to put him upon a horse, and if possible take him to camp.

The slow motion of the horse seemed to alleviate the pain a little, and we reached camp just before dark. The lost horse still behind. This afternoon brought with more per- plexity perhaps, than any previous month of the journey, but I got through with it very well, and felt very thankful that it was no worse.

22. Started at daylight in search of the lost horse, and found him alone, in the prairie 6 mi. below the fort smd with a great deal of difficulty caught him. He led badly, and as I was trying to put the cord in his mouth, he struck me, one foot hit on the upper lip and the other on my arm. The blow on the lip produced a contusion, and a good deal of pain, but it soon subsided. Went to the fort and took breakfast. Mr.