“My job every day is to find wood for the cook fire.  Sometimes it’s very hard to find enough, so I store extra pieces in a box under the wagon.  On the prairie I gathered buffalo chips to burn when there wasn’t any wood.”

6

“My, the Soda Springs are so pretty!  Seem to spout at regular intervals.  Felt good to just rest and not be jostled in the wagon all day.  When I get to Oregon, I’ll have a soft feather bed and never sleep in a wagon again!”

5

“I’ve heard it said that there are many cutoffs to take to shorten the journey -- that by taking all the shortcuts, you can save many days on the trail.  And why not?  Saving time and provisions is worth the risk!”

2