It’s been a while since we checked in with Mr. Johnson. When we last met up with him on his cross-country trek, he’d just forded a swollen river. …
“The morning of the 21st [of May 1883] found me up early, as usual, making ready to move onward. I fed my cattle on grain, no grass, nothing but sage bushes around. I made a fire, got some coffee, and sat down to breakfast. The box from which my horse eats her grain serves me as a seat when not otherwise in use.
“After breakfast I moved on. My road is not as good as usual, it is rough and stony. About ten o’clock I came to a small creek and gave the cattle water; they were thirsty, drinking as though they had not seen water since crossing the ford, and there they did not stop to drink. ‘Come, Fanny, we must go on,’ I said.
“About one o’clock I saw two teams approaching. As we met, of course we stopped; we do not have to stop more than once a day. ‘Good morning, gentlemen,’ I said. ‘Where are you from, excuse me asking?’ ‘Oh, yes; that is all right. We are from Green River City.’ ‘Where did you camp last night?’ ‘About ten miles from here.’ ‘Did your cattle get grass?’ ‘Oh, yes; where we stopped the grass was good.’ ‘About ten miles. How is the road that distance?’ ‘Very rough.’
“We then went on and at three o’clock, stopped and gave my cattle grain. After eating we again went on until coming to the grass of which I had been told, and went into camp. It was not yet time to go into camp, but there being grass we must stop, as going on we might not come to any more for many miles. I turned the cattle loose, allowing them to have their fill, then I made them fast for the night. While they were eating, I gathered some wood for a fire, got my supper ready, ate it, and went to bed.
“In the night, I was awakened by the horse. I knew then there was something around. I got up and saw the horse looking a given direction, and on turning that way I saw a herd of deer feeding. I went back to bed and did not awake until dawn.”
The Slower Road 