We went down the hill a little further to the lower bottom to camp, while the barefooted, bareheaded urchins followed after to get a further look at the strangers.  Before we selected a suitable place, we saw two tents and some wagons which looked like those of overland travelers, and we went toward them.  When within fifty yards two men suddenly came to their feet and looked at our little party approaching as if in wonder, but at twenty steps they recognized Bennett and came rushing forward.  “My God!  It’s Bennett” said they, and they clasped hands in silence while one greeted Mrs. Bennett warmly.  The meeting was so unexpected they shed tears and quietly led the way back to camp.  This was the camp of R.G.  Moody and H.C.  Skinner, with their families.  They had traveled together on the Platte and became well acquainted, the warmest of friends, and knowing that Bennett had taken the cut off, they more than suspected he and his party had been lost, as no sight of them had come to their eyes.  They had been waiting here six weeks in order to get some reliable news, and now Mr. Bennet answered for himself.  Rogers and I, belonging to another party, were of course strangers.

Leaving them to compare notes, Rogers and I took charge of Old Crump, the oxen, and the mule, unpacked them, and arranged camp under a monstrous willow tree.  Bennett and his wife were taken into Mr. Moody’s tent, and an hour or so later when Mrs. Bennett appeared again, she had her face washed clean, her hair combed, and a new clean dress.  It was the first time we had found soap, and the improvement in her looks and feelings was surprising.  Bennett looked considerably cleaned up too, and appeared bright and fresh.  The children had also been taken in hand and appeared in new clothes selected from the wardrobe of the other children, and the old dirty clothes were put in process of washing as soon as possible.

Supper came, and it was so inviting.  There was real bread and it looked so nice we smiled when it was offered to us.  Mrs. Bennett broke pieces for the children and cautioned them not to eat too much.  It did seem so good to be among friends we could talk with and be understood.  After supper was over and the things cleared away we all sat down in a circle and Bennett told the story of where he had been these many days on the cut off that was to shorten the trail.  Mr. Moody said he had about given the party up and intended to start up the coast to-morrow.  The story was so long that they talked till they were sleepy and then began again after breakfast, keeping it up till they had a good outline of all our travels and tribulations.  This Mr. R.G.  Moody, his wife and daughter, Mrs. Quinby, and son Charles, all lived in San Jose and are now dead.  H.C.  Skinner was a brother-in-law of Moody and also lived a long time in San Jose, but himself, son and one daughter, are now dead.