In almost complete despair Field spent the night beside a fire under one of those large cottonwoods which I have no doubt you will remember even though it is now more than forty years since you saw them.  He rose early next morning and started out on the well beaten road towards the Golden West, but had only gone a few hundred yards when he was agreeably surprised to again behold the old ox approaching him, but so much exhausted that it could scarcely walk.  The same, or some other, wolf was near by, and had probably followed the poor old ox all night.  When the ox came close to Field the wolf growled and again turned away as on the evening before.  After the wolf had left the ox seemed to be relieved.

It then occurred to the starving emigrant that he had a sharp razor in his “kitt” with which he knew he could cut those tough tendons, provided he could get another hold on that tail.  Field, as you probably remember, always kept his face cleanly shaved.  Even while we were starving he would shave almost every day.  The ox was tired and worn out and so was Field; but he got the razor ready and soon had hold of that tail again.  Off went the ox, the keen razor was applied, soon the tendons parted and down went the ox.  But only half the victory was won, for the ox would raise up on his front feet and show fight; but after resting awhile the would-be victor rushed up, caught the poor beast by the horns, pushed him over on his side, held him down and cut his throat.

After a long, much needed rest he cut out a piece of the poor beef, broiled and ate it, and then spent the remainder of the day in hunting out the small, lean muscles that still remained between the skin and bones of the poor old ox.  The poor beef was jerked and put into the sack which on the following morning was thrown upon the back of its owner, and from which he fed for the next six days, at the end of which he arrived at Fort Bridger.  From there he soon obtained a passage for Salt Lake City, arriving there on the second day of December, seventeen days after I had reached there, and finding me as before stated.

Some time in the winter we formed an acquaintance of a gentleman named Jesse Morgan, a Gentile, who had left Illinois in the spring of 1849 for California, but for some cause had been delayed and obliged to winter in the city of the Latter Day Saints.  Morgan had a wife, a little child, a wagon and two yoke of oxen, but no food nor money.  Field and I arranged to furnish food for all for the trip from there to Sacramento, and assist in camp duties, drive the team, &c.  We made the trip together and arrived in Sacramento in good condition on the fourth day of July, 1850, and pitched our tent under a large oak tree where the State Capitol now stands.