Міжзірковий мандрівник
Chapter 13
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Twodays’journeybroughtustoMountainMeadows,andhere,wellbeyondthelastsettlement,forthefirsttimewedidnotformthewagon-circle.Thewagonswereroughlyinacircle,butthereweremanygaps,andthewheelswerenotchained.Preparationsweremadetostopaweek.Thecattlemustberestedfortherealdesert,thoughthiswasdesertenoughinallseeming.Thesamelowhillsofsandwereaboutus,butsparselycoveredwithscrubbrush.Theflatwassandy,buttherewassomegrass—morethanwehadencounteredinmanydays.Notmorethanahundredfeetfromcampwasaweakspringthatbarelysuppliedhumanneeds.Butfartheralongthebottomvariousotherweakspringsemergedfromthehillsides,anditwasatthesethatthecattlewatered.
Wemadecampearlythatday,and,becauseoftheprogrammetostayaweek,therewasageneraloverhaulingofsoiledclothesbythewomen,whoplannedtostartwashingonthemorrow.Everybodyworkedtillnightfall.Whilesomeofthemenmendedharnessothersrepairedtheframesandironworkofthewagons.Themwasmuchheatingandhammeringofironandtighteningofboltsandnuts.AndIremembercominguponLaban,sittingcross-leggedintheshadeofawagonandsewingawaytillnightfallonanewpairofmoccasins.Hewastheonlymaninourtrainwhoworemoccasinsandbuckskin,andIhaveanimpressionthathehadnotbelongedtoourcompanywhenitleftArkansas.Also,hehadneitherwife,norfamily,norwagonofhisown.
