[Illustation:  Pulling the Oxen Down the Precipice.]

In the morning we were off again down the canon, limping some as we trod its coarse gravelly bed with our tender feet and stiffened joints, but getting limbered up a little after a bit, and enduring it pretty well.  We set out to try to reach the bunch of willows out on the level plain, where the cattle could get some water and grass, but night overtook us at the mouth of the canon, and we were forced to go into camp.  This canon is now called Red Canon.  This was on an elevated plain, with a lake near by, but as we had been so often deceived by going to the lake for water, and finding them salt in every instance, or poison on account of strong alkali, we did not take the trouble to go and try this one.

Near us was some coarse grass and wet ground where we found water enough for our moderate use, and the oxen, by perseverance, could get something to eat and drink.  After supper we were out of meat and we would have to kill an ox to get some food for breakfast.  In the night a storm came on, much to our surprise, for we had seen none since the night on the mountain east of Death Valley more than two months before.  We tried to fix up a shelter to protect the children and ourselves, but were not very successful.  We tried to use our guns for tent poles, but could not keep them in place.  We laid down as close as pigs in cold weather, and covered up as best we could, but did not keep dry, and morning found us wet to the skin, cold and shivering.  We gathered big sage brush for a fire in the morning, and the tracks of our nearly bare feet could be plainly seen in the snow which lay like a blanket awhile over the ground, about two inches deep.  Some lay in bed and we warmed blankets before the fire and put over them to keep them comfortable till the sun should rise and warm the air.  We selected an ox and brought him up before the fire where I shot him, and soon there was meat roasting over the fire and blood cooking in the camp kettle.  We had nothing to season the blood pudding with but salt, and it was not very good, but answered to sustain life.  We ate a hasty meal, then packed our animals and started for the willow patch about four miles away.  The snow was about gone.

I staid in camp to keep it till they could get through to the willows and some one to come back with the mule to carry forward the portion of meat that could not be taken at first.  We intended to dry it at the willows, and then we could carry it along as daily food over the wide plain we had yet to cross.  Having carried the meat forward, we made a rack of willows and dried it over the fire, making up a lot of moccasins for the barefooted ones while we waited.  We were over most of the rocky road, we calculated that our shoemaking would last us through.  This was a very pleasant camp.  The tired ones were taking a rest.  No one needed it more than our women and children, who were tired nearly out.  They were in much better condition to endure their daily hardships than when they started out, and a little rest would make them feel quite fresh again.  They understood that this was almost on the western edge of this desert country and this gave them good hope and courage.