I guess she had come to believe
in the sufficiency of my protection.
2
Waterloo was a town of seven or eight years of age--a little straggling
village on the Red Cedar River, as it was then called, building its
future on the growth of the country and the water-power of the stream.
It was crowded with seekers after "country," and its land dealers and
bankers were looking for customers. It seemed to be a strong town in
money, and I had a young man pointed out to me who was said to command
unlimited capital and who was associated with banks and land companies
in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City,--I suppose he was a Greene, a Weare, a
Graves, a Johnson or a Lusch. Many were talking of the Fort Dodge
country, and of the new United States Land Office which was just then on
the point of opening at Fort Dodge. They tried to send me to several
places where land could be bought cheaply, in the counties between the
Cedar and the Iowa Rivers, and as far west as Webster County; but when I
told them that I had bought land they at once lost interest in me.
We camped down by the river among the trees, and it was late before we
were free to sleep, on account of the visits we received from movers and
land men; but finally the camp-fires died down, the songs ceased, the
music of accordions and fiddles was heard no more, and the camp of
emigrants became silent.
Virginia bade me good night, and I rolled up in my blankets under the
wagon. I began wondering, after the questions which had been asked as
to our relationship, just what was to be the end of this strange journey
of the big boy and the friendless girl.
Pages:
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217