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Trumball Journal
Index
THE WASHBURN YELLOWSTONE EXPEDITION.
NO. II.
Page 8
One of the pack animals was missing; and the two packers, together with one
of the party, went back on the trail to find him, hoping also to meet Mr.
Everts, and to save him all trouble by guiding him into camp. The lost
pack-horse was an extraordinary animal--a beautiful, golden stallion of vast
proportions, some thought as much as thirteen hands high. Some people would
have called him of buckskin color, but we has of that intensely brilliant
hue which buckskin assumes when wet and in the shade. He was one of the
animals which, in fording the Yellowstone, managed to flounder into deep
water and saturate his pack; and whenever we waded through a slough, he was
sure to be the horse that got stalled. In such cases he invariably waited
until the packers, with their patience severely tried, went back and lifted
him out by main force. On this particular occasion, he had proven himself
the acrobat of the pack-train by turning a number of somersaults backward,
down the hill, pack and all; and when found, was astride a log lengthwise,
his feet just touching on either side, but either unable to extricate
himself, or too proud and patient to make an effort to do so. He
consequently very resignedly contemplated his position and surroundings. He
was too proud and spirited to betray any emotion, though his situation was
undoubtedly distasteful to his feelings. In war, he might have been a lion;
in peace, he was certainly a lamb. He was just the kind of a horse that, in
a race, would have driven every thing else before him. the pedigree of the
beast has not been authentically preserved, but there is good reason to
believe that his dam was Rosinante, while he was sired by Baalbec, the horse
Mark Twain rode through the Holy Land. He was dubbed the "Yellowstone
Wonder."
Toward evening Mr. Everts' disappearance excited grave apprehensions.
It would have been extremely difficult for any one to have followed our
trail through the dense forests and over the fallen timber. Besides, Mr.
Everts was quite near-sighted. Every endeavor was made to attract his
attention, by firing guns and building fires on prominent points near the
camp. Failing to find him, we changed our camp to the lake-shore, and
remained for more than a week in the immediate vicinity, searching
vigilantly for him. We expected to find him somewhere on the south-west
shore of the lake, as at the time he was lost it was generally understood we
would that evening camp on the south-western arm of the lake.
On the afternoon of September 13th, when Mr. Everts had been missing
four days, there was slight indications of snow, which indications continued
for two days, by which time it was two feet deep. The weather was not very
cold, and by means of the tent we got along quite comfortably; but we feared
that the storm would prove fatal to our poor, lost friend. Conjectures as
to his probable fate were numberless, but futile. Our chief hope lay in the
fact of his being well mounted, and the hope that, failing to find us on the
second day, he had started for the settlements; in which case he might
possibly be beyond the region of the snow-storm. When lost he was without
provisions, but had with him a needle-gun. We continued our efforts until
nearly out of provisions; and then, leaving three persons to still look for
him, the rest of us turned toward the settlements.
Immediately on our arrival, two old mountaineers were furnished with six
weeks' provisions, and offered a large reward if they succeeded in finding
him, or should bring back his body. They found him, quite exhausted, and
nearly famished about sixty miles from Bozeman. He was trying to follow
back on the route by which we ascended the Yellowstone. It seems that his
horse got away from the day after he left us. His gun was made fast to the
saddle, and his revolver was in his cantinas; so that he had no means
of providing himself with food. During the snow-storm he got along by
building a shelter of pine boughs over a warm spring. For forty days he
lived on roots, and two minnows, which he caught in his hat. He tried to
eat grasshoppers, but he found their jumping propensities were not confined
to a living state; for he had no sooner swallowed one than it cleared his
throat with a bound. It was weeks after his rescue before he fully
recovered his strength. His escape from a terrible death was almost
marvelous.
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