| months before I was fifteen
years old. I well remember that my sister, Alice, was the only one to see
us off. I remember her crying, and it seemed to me that I was going to my
eternal doom. I sat on the side of the wagon as Pa started up the horses.
I even remember cutting notches in the wagon side boards with my pocket
knife, and telling Pa that we didn't have to go all the way to Texas!
For two or more years I had overheard Pa and Ma talking of this great venture after we would go to bed at night. They never dreamed I was staying awake to listen in on them. I never liked the idea of selling our home and just having a covered wagon to live in. Pa said he was going to buy a good one so we could travel rain or shine. Well, by the next day at work or play, I would soon forget his plans. I was like any child, it would bother me only for a short duration. The day finally came when we kids would be loaded in the covered wagon, and when the time came for me to say goodby to my sister and brother I was to leave behind, and all of my playmates, it was too much for me! However, after four or five days of traveling and camping, and Ma's cooking on the campfire, I soon forgot our old homestead and anxious to see what was on the other side of the next mountain. Our first stop was at Harrison, Arkansas. We found a house, such as it was, and lived there for three months. Pa got pretty sick and soon as he felt well enough to travel, the doctor told him he would have to keep traveling or he would not last long. Soon some men came and loaded our covered wagon. We all got in again, ready to travel. Pa got to sick to drive the team, so it was all up to me to do the driving. I was old enough, although I only weighed sixty-three pounds. In a few days Pa was able to take over and drive the team again. In those days you had to ford almost every river and stream. There were no bridges. We got along fine for about a week. We came to a big river at noontime, so we camped and Ma cooked our noon meal. I remember 11 |