We caught plenty of fresh salmon-trout in the pond, and Colonel Arnold
ordered two oxen to be killed and divided among us, as a sort of treat.
At the second portage we built another block-house for the sick. At that
time I felt sick and worn out myself, but I couldn't think of stopping,
so I kept my sufferings hidden as much as I could from everybody but
O'Brien, who did all he could to help me. After crossing the last pond,
we had several marshes and deep ravines to cross. Sometimes we had to
wade up to the knees in mud and water, carrying heavy bundles of baggage
on our shoulders, and in constant danger of sinking into deep mud holes.
Ha! ha! I recollect, O'Brien, Johnson and myself were toiling along
through one of the marshes, Johnson a short distance behind, when
O'Brien and I heard a yell and a cry of 'Och, murther!' The yell, I
thought might have come from a savage, but the 'Och, murther!' I knew
never could. O'Brien's quick eye soon discovered what was the cause of
it, and I followed him back. There we found Johnson, up to his neck in
mud and water, yelling for help to get out of the bloody dirt. I was the
first to grasp his hand, but in pulling, my foot slipped, and I fell in
alongside of Johnson. O'Brien was more careful; he got on the baggage
that Johnson and I had thrown down, and by great exertions, dragged us
both out; but in such a condition--covered with mud from head to foot.
Of course, O'Brien and I laid it all on Johnson's blundering. O'Brien
said he believed Johnson's birth was a blunder of nature, she had
regretted ever since; and that if he fell into a mudhole again, he
should stick there. Johnson admitted that he was thinking of home when
he fell into the dirty place; he was just kissing his darlin' Mary when
his foot slipped. Well, we shouldered our wet baggage, and waded on to
the rest of the party, and soon after, we reached Dead River. This river
seemed to have a smooth current, broken by two or three little falls,
and we thought we could have quite an easy progress. The boats were
easily pushed along, and the men got the rest they wanted. As we were