Chapter 4

75 days from Independence

No more time for lazing around; it's back to the work of getting the wagon train through the mountains and on its way to California. Eddy and Martha returned to the wagon a bit tired, but full of the joy of life.

Eddy rejoined the guards and Martha assumed the duties of the matron of the household. Her mother realized that she was no longer in charge; it was Martha who now had the final say in all things domestic. Martha's two brothers were just happy that they were no longer walking on eggs, but they did have to stop their nearly constant bickering.

Jasper had explained to the members of the train that they would be turning south before long and would miss the worst of the mountains as they cut toward The Great Salt Lake. They didn't have much of a worry with Indians through here, but the Mormons could be a trial. The train would stay north of the lake and hope to miss any troublesome Mormons, but there was no guarantee. Everybody had to be alert and notify somebody in authority if they sighted any riders near the train.

They still had about three days before they cut off to the south, which they would do just past Soda Springs. Now was the time to make sure they had plenty of sound water barrels, because they would be traveling along the Bear River for only a few days, and that would be the last of the good-tasting water they would see for nearly a month! That night, there was a flurry of activity as the men prepared the water barrels.

They were still traveling through mountains and would be for most of the rest of the trip. This meant that they would often have to trek five or more miles to make two miles of progress toward their destination. But that didn't matter, at least, they were making progress! They wouldn't fill their water barrels quite yet because they didn't want the burden of the extra weight. They would wait until their last night along Bear River before doing that.

The situation would improve once they reached the Humboldt River. Here they could get good tasting, fresh water and would have a river to follow with the attendant opportunities of fish and game. But they had to cross some desert and get past hostile Mormons between the Bear and the Humboldt. Nevertheless, they restocked as best they could in Montpelier and set out with high hopes toward their dreams in California.

They crossed into Utah and kept a wary eye out for Mormon raiders. The train stocked up on water and left Bear River on their journey around the northern rim of Great Salt Lake. They did pause long enough for everybody to get a taste of the water so they would know the reason for the lake's name. Yech! Those Mormons must be crazy to want that stuff! Curiosity satisfied, they pushed on toward Nevada.

It took a little over two weeks to get through Utah, which was a bit quicker that Jasper had expected. They were able to stretch out their water, so they weren't in desperate need by the time they had crossed the salt flats, but potable water was a welcome sight.

96 days from Independence

Entry into Nevada was a welcome milestone for the train. They had been traveling for over three months and were ready for any diversion. Jasper had planned for a "100th day" celebration, so he had Seth on the look-out for a good place to stop for a day of relaxation. Seth found just the spot, but it was already occupied by a Paiute encampment. Fortunately, the Paiute were usually very friendly to Whites passing through, and a few actually had a few words of English. The Paiutes welcomed the train and were happy to join in the celebration, to the point of contributing some of the food. A very small amount of whiskey was shared and the Paiutes were delighted.

The children of the wagon train were thrilled to meet Indians who weren't trying to kill them and learned a few Paiute words. The day of celebration was a total success and built a warm feeling toward Indians which lasted the Whites for years.

The next morning, the trek was resumed, to the disappointment of the children and the relief of the Indians. They continued to follow the Humboldt River nearly all the way across Nevada and had good relations with the Paiutes the whole way.

By now, Martha was certain of her pregnancy, but was unsure how to tell Eddy. Finally, she talked it over with her mother and they decided that blunt was best. It was a regular practice for Martha and Eddy to take a short walk away from other people after supper each night. She picked this as the best time to tell her husband. "Eddy, I have some very happy news to tell you!"

Eddy blurted out, "Martha, you are going to have a baby!" At this, he sank to the ground.

Martha was stunned! "How did you know?"

"Because it's the most important news I can imagine!"

"Well, I hope that you are as happy as I am!" beamed Martha.

"Oh, yes! I am very happy! But I am worried about whether or not I will be a good father. This is a great responsibility! Am I strong enough to handle it?"

"I know you are! I know that you will be the best husband and father a family could ever have! I love you so much!" Martha said, as she sank to the ground beside Eddy.

"I love you, too. But my knees are a little weak right now. I hope I can calm down before I go on guard duty."

Martha's mother was relieved, but not surprised, at Eddy's reaction. She was glad to know that Eddy was responsible and caring, as she had missed that in her own marriage.

Martha's brothers were a bit less enthusiastic about the new baby. They were not sure of their new status in the enlarged family. At a hint from Martha, Eddy made a point to reassure the boys that they had nothing to fear from the new arrival. Eddy spent a lot of time convincing the boys how much fun they would have teaching things to the baby, particularly if it was a boy. As a result, the whole family was looking forward to the new arrival; in fact, the boys became anxious to hurry things along and were disappointed when they learned that was not possible. Dang!

146 days from Independence

It took over a month to cross Nevada and reach the Humboldt Sink where the river just petered out into a swamp. They spent a day cleaning and repairing their water barrels in preparation for crossing the 40-Mile Desert. Jasper had spent a good bit of time reiterating that they would be spending 8 to 10 days crossing a desert where there was not a drop of potable water. They could expect blistering sun with 100 degree plus heat with no relief, except at night, when they would need blankets for protection against the cold. Everybody, especially the children, must cover all skin and wear hats, because the sun would produce painful, possibly fatal, burns if they didn't take precautions.