I said to the man who had asked the question, “Drive on about five miles, and you will find a little creek and plenty of grass.  Go into camp there and select five or ten men to act as a committee, and we will be there at four o’clock to meet you.  You must give your committee full power to deal with us.  The committee must know the number of wagons, the number of men, and the number of grown women; it will be more satisfactory to you as well as to us to deal with a few men than for the whole train to take a part in the business.”

This plan seemed to meet with the approval of the men, so General Kerney, Jim Bridger and I left them and rode back to the Fort.  On the way back the General asked Bridger how much he meant to charge the emigrants to take the train across.

Bridger said, “What do you say, Will?”

I answered, “Jim, I look at it this way, we are held responsible for the people’s lives as well as their stock to get them to California in safety; just think of the responsibility we are assuming; and as far as I am concerned I will not undertake the job for less then four dollars a day.”

Bridger answered, “That settles it, Will, that’s just my price.”

The General said, “I think you are very moderate in your charges; I should think they would jump at such a chance; for I assure you, you will have your hands full day and night.”

After we had eaten our dinner at the Fort Gen. Kerney accompanied us back to the emigrant’s camp.  On our arriving there we found the committee waiting to receive us.  Mr. Tullock introduced us to the others, and then said, “We want you to tell us what amount of money you will charge us to pilot us across the plains to California.”

I said, “Gentlemen, I want to ask you a few questions before I answer yours; how many wagons have you in this train?” Mr. Tullock answered, “Sixty four.”  “How many men?” “One hundred and forty-eight.”  “How many women?” “Sixty four.”

I then said, “I will now answer your question as to our price.  If we take charge of this train from here to California our price will be four dollars a day to each of us, with this understanding that Mr. Bridger has entire charge of the wagons both day and night, and I to have the charge of the scout force.  Now, gentlemen, I don’t suppose any of you know what the duty of a scout is, and I will explain it to you.  Twenty miles from here we will strike a country where all the Indians are hostile, and for the next twelve hundred miles they are all on the war path; now, if we undertake this job we shall want twelve good men to help me in scouting; each of the twelve to be mounted, and our duty will be to protect the train; three men to ride in the rear of the train and three on each side, each three to keep about a half a mile from the train, and the other three in the lead, and the duty of these scouts will be when they see Indians coming towards the train to notify Mr.