The colonel decided to take a couple of days to catch up on wagon repairs and wait to cross the river Monday. “We’ll need to take the wheels off for this one and float the wagons over. The Platte’s got a swamp-like bottom.” He wanted two rafts built in case any of the wagons took on water, explaining, “Sometimes the workmen just slap the pitch on the wagon bottoms and they leak.” If one started to sink, they’d tie the rafts to either side of it to get it safely over. Reaching the fork of the river was cause for celebration. Friday afternoon some of the older children put together a picnic to eat on the riverbank. Abigail watched Charlie bring more wood to the fire. “You’re happy because Paul Sutler is going,” said Charlie to Corrine as she worked on a meat pie, humming a tune. He didn’t often tease his sisters, especially not sharp-tongued Corrine. Corrine raised her brows. “And is Emma Austelle going?” Charlie grinned. “Maybe.” Once Corrine had finished crimping the crust and slid her pie in the sheet-iron stove, she left with Lina to look for wildflowers.
