Mary and I: Forty Years with the SiouxRiggs, Stephen Return
History
Mary and I: Forty Years with the Sioux
Riggs, Stephen Return
Dakota Indians -- Missions; Riggs, Stephen Return, 1812-1883
"The morning of September 1 found the missionaries of Bogue Station,
near Fort Sully, on their way to the annual meeting of the Dakota
Mission. The party consisted of five--Mr. and Mrs. Riggs, Misses
Collins and Whipple, and little Theodore. The carriage was heavily
loaded with articles needed for the overland journey, consisting of
tent, tent-poles and pins, axe, gun, stove, cooking-utensils,
provision-boxes, traveling-bags, blankets, and robes.
"A number of the Indians had promised to accompany them, but the
coming council of the commissioners proved a greater attraction than
the gathering together of their Christian brethren, and they remained
at home.
"The day was cool but pleasant, and all enjoyed the ride, which gave
them keen appetites for the dinner taken on the bank of the Huhboju.
In the afternoon Mr. Riggs shot some ducks, while others gathered
willows to carry along for the night's fire, as at that camping-place
there was no wood.
"The second day proved to be the most eventful of the trip. A village
of prairie-dogs was passed, a rabbit chased, and an antelope seen. But
the great event was the _tip over_--not an ordinary upset, but a
complete revolution of the carriage. The large grasses grew so thickly
across the track that a deep rut was concealed from view; and had it
been thought necessary to drive from the track, the bluff on one side
and a water hole on the other would have prevented.
"The upper part of the carriage was too heavy to keep its balance when
the wheels went into the rut, and the whole outfit was precipitated
six feet down the bank into the water hole, which, fortunately, was
dry. Mrs. Riggs slipped from her seat and was held down by the
provisions, boxes, and blankets, which fell upon her when the carriage
passed over. Mr. Riggs found himself upon the axle-tree. Miss Collins
gave a faint '_Oh, oh!_' and said, 'Don't hurt the baby.' The baby was
the safest of all. He was nearly asleep on Miss Whipple's arm, and was
there held while she went through a series of circus performing
hitherto unknown. When all were safely out, and it was known that no
one was seriously injured, exclamations of joy and thankfulness were
uttered.
"Mr. Riggs started in pursuit of the team, which had become detached
from the carriage by the breaking of a bolt, and, frightened by the
confusion, had run away. They were easily caught, as one ran faster
than the other and thus running went in a circle. Miss Collins
commenced searching for the whiffle-tree and found it nearly a
half-mile away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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