into safe position in pretty short order.  Arcane took his Charley from the other pocket and laid him on the ground, while he devoted his own attention to the animals.  Mrs. Arcane’s ox followed suit, and waltzed around in the sand, bawled at every turn, fully as bad as any of the others, but Mrs. Arcane proved to be a good rider, and hard to unseat, clinging desperately to her strap as she was tossed up and down, and whirled about at a rate enough to to make any one dizzy.  Her many fine ribbons flew out behind like the streamers from a mast-head, and the many fancy fixin’s she had donned fluttered in the air in gayest mockery.  Eventually she was thrown however, but without the least injury to herself, but somewhat disordered in raiment.  When I saw Bennett he was standing half bent over laughing in almost hysterical convulsion at the entirely impromptu circus which had so suddenly performed an act not on the program.  Arcane was much pleased and laughed heartily when he saw no one was hurt.  We did not think the cattle had so much life and so little sense as to waste their energies so uselessly.  The little mule stepped out one side and looked on in amazement, with out disarranging any article of her load.

Mrs. Bennett, carrying her baby and walking around to keep out of the way, got very much exhausted, and sat down on the sand, her face as red as if the blood were about to burst through the skin, and perspiring freely.  We carried a blanket and spread down for her while we gathered in the scattered baggage.  Then the oxen were got together again, and submitted to being loaded up again as quietly as if nothing had happened.  Myself and the women had to mend the harness considerably, and Arcane and his ox went back for some water, while Rogers and Bennett took the shovel and went ahead about a mile to cover up the body of Capt.  Culverwell, for some of the party feared the cattle might be terrified at seeing it.  All this took so much time that we had to make a camp of it right here.

We put the camp kettle on two stones, built a fire, put in some beans and dried meat cut very fine, which cooked till Arcane came with more water, which was added, and thickened with a little of the unbolted flour, making a pretty good and nutritious soup which we all enjoyed.  We had to secure the animals, for there was neither grass nor water for them, and we thought they might not be in so good spirits another day.

We had little trouble in packing up again in the morning, and concluded to take a nearer route to the summit, so as to more quickly reach the water holes where Rogers and I camped on our first trip over the country.  This would be a hard rocky road on its course leading up a small rocky canon, hard on the feet of the oxen, so they had to be constantly urged on, as they seemed very tender footed.  They showed no disposition to go on a spree again and so far as keeping the loads on, behaved very well indeed.  The women did not