The California and Oregon Trail Author:Francis Parkman Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: were the white barracks of Fort Leaven worth, just visible through the trees upon an eminence above a bend of the river. A wide green meadow, as level as a lake,... more » lay between us and the Missouri, and upon this, close to a line of trees that bordered a little brook, stood the tent of the Captain and his companions, with their horses feeding around it; but they themselves were invisible. Wright, their muleteer, was there, seated on the tongue of the wagon, repairing his harness. Boisverd stood cleaning his rifle at the door of the tent, and Sorel lounged idly about. On closer examination, however, we discovered the Captain's brother, Jack, sitting in the tent, at his old occupation of splicing trail-ropes. He welcomed us in his broad Irish brogue, and said that his brother was fishing in the river, and R. gone to the garrison. They returned before sunset. Meanwhile we erected our own tent not far off, and after supper a council was held, in which it was resolved to remain one day at Fort Leavenworth, and on the next to bid a final adieu to the frontier ; or in the phraseology of the region, to "jump off." Our deliberations were conducted by the ruddy light from a distant swell of the prairie, where the long dry grass of last summer was on fire. CHAPTER III. FORT LEAVENWORTH. " I've wandered wide and wandered far, But never have I met, In all this lovely western land, A spot more lovely yet."—BRYANT. On the next morning we rode to Fort Leaven- worth. Colonel (now General) Kearney, to whomI had had the honor of an introduction when at St. Louis, was just arrived, and received us at his quarters with the high-bred courtesy habitual to him. Fort Leavenworth is, in fact, no fort, being without defensive works, except two block-houses. No rumors of war had as yet disturb...« less