Ben Ch 13

EIGHTEEN hundred and fifty-five brought new adventures for Ben. At last one of his boyhood dreams - a long trip with his Uncle Starling - came true. Some time in early spring this beloved uncle, driving a mule team with a huge covered wagon, arrived in Pleasant Grove. He was with a freight train from California, carrying goods from that far-away state for the pioneers in the "valleys of the mountains."

What a joyous reunion they had while the train camped overnight in the fort. Ben and his brother Paul were all excitement as they helped take care of the mules. They stayed up late, too, that night listening to stories their uncle had to tell of sunny California. As soon as he had delivered his load in Salt Lake he would be going back there to help build up the colony at San Bernardino.

"Let me go with you, Uncle Starling," begged Ben.

"I'II be glad to take you if your father and mother are willing," was the reply. "There will be plenty of work for a husky boy like you, with pretty good pay, too." Then, turning to the parents, he asked, "What do you say?"

"Well, Ben, we can use you round here, and it will be rather lonesome without you," returned the fathers "but it might be a good experience for you to get out on your own for a little while. How do you feel about it, Eliza?"

Ben's mother was silent a moment; then she said, "It's a little hard for me to say yes, Ben; but I know you will be all right with Uncle Starling; and I'm ready to let you enjoy the trip. Paul and Hannah, Isaac and Parley will help us out till you get back home again."

"Oh, thanks, Father and Mother, and you, too, Uncle Starling," was all Ben could say. He was too happy for words.

"Your Aunt Sarah will be glad I'm taking you with us. She likes wide-awake boys," said the uncle with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Aunt Sarah?" echoed Ben's mother.

"Yes, Eliza, I've brought the good news along with me. Mail is so slow these days. Sarah Rogers and I were married in Parowan just two weeks ago. She's staying with her folks there to get ready for the trip to the new home we plan to make."

There were congratulations and good wishes with questions about the new Auntie. Of course, Uncle Starling thought that she was the best and prettiest girl in the world, and "with a heart as good as gold." Ben was to learn through the years that followed that his uncle had not over-praised this girl. Aunt Sarah became a real mother to the boy.

As Ben was going to bed that night be asked, "Will you let me take Buckskin and Towser, Uncle Starling?"

"That's all right with me," was the reply. "It might be a good thing to have your pony and dog along."

On the morrow as the train pulled out of the town for Salt Lake, the Uncle called out, "I'll be back in about a week; get ready."

Those were, dragging days for the eager youth, in spite of being crowded with preparations for the trip. Work in the shop and field, sewing and mending and getting food to last through the journey filled the time to the full.

"Reminds me of the busy days we had in Nauvoo and Pigeon Creek fixin' things to come west," said Grandmother White.

Finally the mule train came rolling back into the fort. After a night's stay there, it was ready to roll on again over the trail to California. Ben on Buckskin, with Towser barking his delight, was the envy of his pals. There were goodbyes and plenty of good wishes, with just a few tears, too, as the folk of the town watched the caravan depart.

Ben's folk were a bit lonely that night and full of talk about where their boy was, when they would hear from him, and how long he would stay. Ben himself had just a touch of homesickness the first night out, as he snuggled under the cosy quilt his mother had given him. But, weary from the excitement and traveling, he was soon asleep with his uncle beneath the stars.

Days that followed brought new scenes and enriching experiences. Their first drive had taken them through Provo, Springville, Spanish Fork to Payson, all with their protecting forts, built when Chief Walker went on the warpath. While they camped on Peteetneet Creek that night, they heard from one of the settlers there how the Utes had touched off the war two years before by killing one of the guards right on that creek. Ben was reminded vividly of his own boyhood experiences as a sentinel, and he was set wondering whether there might be more Indian dangers to face on this journey; but Uncle Starling joked away such thoughts.

Next night they camped on the Sevier River, away from all the settlements. It had been a rather exciting day for Towser. Jackrabbits were so thick that they had kept him on the chase most of the time. It was a coyote, however, that gave the eager dog his hardest run, all for nothing, except to give Ben and the teamsters some fun watching the seared coyote streak through the sagebrush and over the hill.

Sage hens also added interest. As the boy rode Buckskin out through the brush, he seared flocks of them. One of the good shots brought down several of the birds, so they had some fried chicken for supper that night.

About eight days after the train had left Pleasant Grove it rolled into Parowan, a frontier town in Iron County. There was a happy reunion, of course, for Uncle Starling and his bride; and a warm welcome for Ben by his Aunt Sarah and her parents. His stay in their home was prolonged to give time for the newlyweds to get ready for the trip.

These few days of waiting were interesting ones for the young traveler. The settlement was having an unusual bit of excitement at this time because of a visit of haughty Chief Walker and some of his tribe. The Indians had pitched their tepees near the town, and were carrying on a kind of "swapping bee" with the settlers. Among other things they had a good many ponies and a few mules to trade.

"Looks to me as if the old Chief has been on another of his raids into California," said Uncle Starling; "I've seen animals like those on the ranches there."

"Just what I've been thinking too," said another of the freighters; "hope his deviltry won't bring any trouble for us along the trail we're taking."

The Ute Chieftain and his band were friendly enough during this visit; but they evidently wanted to impress the settlers with their power. One day they came into town, marching in stately single file, and all in their beaded buckskin, feathers and paint. It reminded Ben vividly of the time when some Sauk and Fox Indians had come to Nauvoo; but what happened this day in Parowan was decidedly different.

As the leaders of the town came forth to greet the Ute Chieftain, be said, "Me hear Mormonee dance; you show me."

Immediately pioneer fiddlers were called into action, and a number of the men and women were brought together to entertain the red visitors. To a lively tune and calls, a "square dance" was carried through on the ground, with "how-hows" and "ki-yis" from the Indians.

Suddenly their Chief checked the merriment with a shout, "Kawino (no good) I See Injun dance."

At a word of command his feathered braves bounded from the ground and took their places. Then to beating of tom-toms and Indian song they went through their dance with impressive unison and rhythm.

All ended joyously. After the dancing came a pioneer feast; then an exchange of simple gifts, bright trinkets from the settlers, some beaded buckskin articles from the Indians. Finally, just before sundown, the redmen left the fort for their encampment. It all helped to foster better feelings, yet despite the show of friendliness, the settlers were relieved when next morning they found that Walker and his band had struck their tepees and trailed northward.

That same day the covered wagon train bound for California bade goodbye to the kindly folk of Parowan. Besides Aunt Sarah, several other wives of the teamsters, with a few young folk, were in the caravan. Ben was glad to have the company of two boys about his age for the rest of the journey. They, too, had Indian ponies.

Just before nightfall the train reached Cedar City, then only a frontier village. Ben always remembered the colorful cliffs to the east of the town, which were lighted beautifully by the setting sun. He kept in his heart, too, the good bread and butter and creamy milk, friends of Aunt Sarah brought to enrich their supper; nor did they forget plenty of hay and grain for the mules and Buckskin.

Next day the travelers nooned at Fort Harmony. It was their good fortune to meet Jacob Hamblin there, a "peace-maker" among the Indians. Leaders of the train welcomed the sound advice he had for them as to their dealings with redmen they might meet along the way.

"Have your guns and ammunition ready," he said, "but use them only as a last resort. Some of the Indians are a bit ugly right now, due to wrongs they have suffered from the reckless whites rushing to the goldfields. Their savage natures tell them it is right to steal from any train that comes along or to kill to get even."

"How can we best avoid trouble?" asked one of the leaders.

"Just treat them fairly. Gain their confidence if you can. Some of the Indians will probably come begging. Well, give them a little food, telling them it is to pay for the grass your stock will eat while crossing their land. Another thing," the peacemaker continued, "let them help you take care of your animals. Just keep one of them as a hostage; and when the stock is brought back, pay them with a shirt or two, or whatever else you may have to spare. Then they will be 'wino" Indians. It pays better than to get their ill will."

That night this wise counsel was given a first test. As the caravan went into camp at Mountain Meadows, the scouts sighted several Piutes off on the hillside. Riding towards the lurking Indians, the whites made signs of friendship. Finally they induced the redmen to come to them.

An interpreter with signs and some Piute words, learned something about how the Indians felt. "White men kill and scare away game. Horses eat all the grass. Injuns heap poor - hungry," one said. They did look half starved.

Food given the red visitors made them friendlier. Then the scouts arranged to have some of the Piutes herd the cattle and horses that night. One of them - Ticaboo, they called him - offered to stay in camp as a hostage.

"I'm not sure we ought to trust them with our animals," said one of the men.

"My faith is that we'd better trust and feed them," said the Captain; "then we won't have to fight them."

Next morning at daybreak the redmen were back with every one of the animals. They were given some gifts of food and clothing, and went away happy. It was a promise of peace for the rest of the long trip over the untamed desert region that lay between there and sunny California.

On the caravan went to Santa Clara Creek, then down the Rio Virgin to Muddy River, Las Vegas and "Resting Springs." Here it was necessary to fill the water barrels before crossing the Mojave Desert. Traveling over this burning and stretch was done mostly by night, when it was even a bit chilly. But, for Ben and his boy pals, this night-traveling had fun in it. The bright stars seemed to come half way down to meet them, and the moon lighted up the trail. On their brisk ponies they were usually at the head of the teams.

"That's all right, boys," said the Captain, "so long as you don't get too far ahead or lose the road."

"Don't you mistake a bunch of cactus for Injuns, either," added Uncle Starling, "and start a stampede."

Days grew into weeks - six of them as Ben remembered - before they finally rolled through the famed Cajon Pass and down the slopes into Southern California. What a different land it was, so unlike the level prairies of Illinois, the green, rolling hills of Pigeon Creek, or the "valleys of the mountains" in Utah.

Yet California had its scenic beauties and wonders. The mysteries of the Mojave Desert, with its strange vegetation, its faraway mountains, its sand dunes constantly shifting with the wandering winds, had charmed the boy. The Giant Joshua, lifting its spiny arms to the sky, and new kinds of trees were full of interest. There were new flowers, too, blooming under a pleasant sky. Somehow he felt that he was going to like California.

One day the train stopped for noon near a deserted mission. Neglected grapevines and fruit trees were about it. Of course Ben and his pals, with some others of the caravan, had to look over the old structure. They came back for lunch full of questions.

As they ate, one of the men told the story of Father Junipero, who had led a group of missionaries into California in the long ago days. To promote their work of teaching Christianity among the native tribes, these devoted men founded mission homes, and gathered round them all the Indians that would come. There they taught these red folk the story of Mary and her son Jesus. And to help in practical ways, they trained these Indians in raising grains and fruits, in sheep and cattle raising. "From this good start, California is becoming now a land of ranches and vineyards and orchards," he concluded.

"That's right," spoke up Uncle Starling, "let's get on to San Bernardino, and help the fine work along."