children, and enough men to care for their safety were here awaiting the arrival of horses which Barlow and Rector, who had started on the 16th, intending to explore for a road as they passed, were to send back from Oregon City. A few half-starved cattle yet remained, the only resource of the destitute people.
After being furnished with food, a few families immediately set out for Oregon City on the packhorses. Others followed on foot through the snow, having loaded their weak oxen with some necessary articles. By the 25th all the families had departed except those of Barlow, Rector, and Caplinger, who were still awaiting the arrival of the horses. Palmer remained until this date assisting to build a storehouse for the baggage left, which was named Port Deposit and placed in charge of a small guard. As Palmer and three others were leaving the camp they met Barlow and Rector coming in.
They had reached Oregon City after undergoing much suffering from being lost in the mountains for several days. Barlow, being older than his companion, and much exhausted, frequently fell in walking, and became alarmed lest he should break a leg, and be compelled to die alone in the wilderness; and piteously inquired of Rector what he would do in such an event. "Eat you!" growled Rector, and stalked on. Looking back he beheld his friend's face bathed in tears, which smote his heart, and he returned to comfort him. Not long after this incident they came to a small stream flowing westward, which was regarded as a happy omen, and soon they heard the tinkling of cow-bells on the cattle trail. So great was their joy that for some minutes they could not command their voices to call for help.[1] Palmer's party passed many families on the way. Two of them had lost all their provisions in the night through the greed of their hungry horses, the snow having entirely covered the grass, and these nine persons scantily clad,
- ↑ Victors River of the West, 375-6.
