was postponed, and our people proceeded to make the most of the
unexpected holiday. Messrs. Grayson and Branham found a bee tree, and
brought several buckets of delicious honey into camp. Mr. Bryant
gathered a quantity of wild peas, and distributed them among the
friends who had spices to turn them into sweet pickles.

The evening was devoted to friendly intercourse, and the camp was merry
with song and melodies dear to loved ones around the old hearthstones.

Meanwhile, Captain Russell had drawn a plan of the craft that should be
built, and had marked the cottonwood trees on the river bank, half a
mile above camp, that would furnish the necessary materials.

Bright and early the following morning, volunteer boat-builders went to
work with a will, and by the close of day had felled two trees about
three and a half feet in diameter, had hollowed out the trunks, and
made of them a pair of canoes twenty-five feet in length. In addition
to this, they had also prepared timbers for the frames to hold them
parallel, and insure the wagon wheels a steady place while being
ferried across the river.

The workers were well satisfied with their accomplishment. There was,
however, sorrow instead of rejoicing in camp, for Mrs. Reed's aged
mother, who had been failing for some days, died that night. At two
o'clock the next afternoon, she was buried at the foot of a monarch
oak, in a neat cottonwood coffin, made by men of the party, and her
grave was marked by a headstone.

[Illustration: GOVERNOR L.W. BOGGS]