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best glass…and…plastic lines we can buy； or we won't get through the pass。 Money is nothing； weight and cubage are all that count…our total wealth is what mules can take through that notch。
Minerva； it was lucky for me； lucky for Dora； that I was on my sixth pioneering venture and that I had planned how to load spaceships many years before I ever loaded a covered wagon…for the principles are the same； spaceships are the covered wagons of the Galaxy。 Get it down to the weight the mules can haul； then chop off 10 percent no matter how it
hurts； a broken axle…when you can't replace it…might as well be a broken neck。
Then add more water to bring it up to 95 percent； the load of water drops off every day。
Knitting needles！ Can Dora knit？ If not； …teach her。 I've spent many a lonely hour in space knitting sweaters and socks。 Yarn？ It will be a … long time before Dora can tease goat shearings into good yarn…and she can knit for the baby while we travel； keep her happy。 Yarn doesn't weigh much。 Wooden needles can be made； even curved metal needles can be shaped from… scraps。 But pick up both sorts fxorn Rick's Store。 …
Oh； my God； I almost missed taking an ax！…
Ax heads and one handle； brush hook； pick…mattock…Minerva； I added and trimmed and discarded； and weighed every item at New Pittsburgh…and we weren't three kilometers out of there headed for Separation 'before I knew I had us overloaded。 That night we stopped at a； homesteader's cabin； and I traded a new thirty…kilo anvil for his fifteen…kilo one； traded even； with the pound of flesh nearest my heart tossed in for good measure。 I swapped other heavy items that we would miss later for a smoked ham and a side of bacon and more corn for the mules…the last being emergency rations。
We lightened the …loads ；again at Separation； and I took another water barrel in trade and ifiled it because I 'now had room for another and knew that too heavy a load of water was self…correcting。
I think that extra barrel saved our lives。
The patch of green that Lazarus…Woodrow had pointed out up near the notch … ~f Hopeless Pass proved to be farther away' in travel time than he had hoped。 00 the last day that they struggled toward it neither man nor mule had had anything to drink since dawn the day before。 Smith felt lightheaded； the mules were hardly fit to work； they plodded slowly； heads down。
Dora wanted to stop drinking when her husband did。 He said to her： 〃Listen to me； you stupid little tart； you're pregnant。 Understand me？ Or will it take a fat； lip to convince you？ I held out four liters when we served the mules； you saw me。〃 …
〃I don't need four liters； Woodrow。〃
… 〃Shut up。 That's for you； and the nanny goat； and the chickens。 And the cats…cats don't take mucji。 Dorable； that
…much water means nothing split among sixteen mules； but it will go a long way among you small fry。〃 …
〃Yes； sir。 How about Mrs。 Porky？〃
〃Oh； that damned sow！ Uh 。 。 I'll give her a half a liter when we stop tonight and I'll serve her myself。 She's likely to kick it over and take your thumb off； the mood she's in。 And I'll serve you myself； measure it out； and watch you drink it。〃
But after a long day and a restless night and then an endless day； they were at last among the first of the trees。 It seemed almest cool； and Smith felt that he could smell water
…somewhere。 He could not see any。 〃Buck！ Oh； Buck！
Circle！〃
The boss mule did not answer； he had not talked all day。 But he brought the column around； cornered the wagons； and nudged the lead peir into the V to be unharnessed。
Smith called the dogs and told them to hunt for water； then started unharnessing。 Silently his wife joined him； serving the off mule of each pair while ……Smith cleared the nigh
…mule。 He appreciated her silence。 Dora was； he thought； telepathic to emotions。
Now if I were water somewhere around here； wher？would I be？ Witch for it？ Or search the surface first？ He felt fairly sure that no stream led away from this stand of trees； but he could not be certain without hildng all the downhill side。 Saddle Beulah？ Shucks； Beulah was worse off than he was。 He started unlashing rolled sections of spike fence from the sides of the second wagon。 He had not seen a loper for three days； which… meant to him that they were three days closer to their next trouble with the beasts。 〃Dora； if you feel up to it； you can give me a hand with this。〃 …
She made no ment on the fact that her husband had never before let her help erect the kraal； she simply worried about how drawn and tired he looked and thought about the quarter liter of water she had stolen and hidden…how could she persuade him to drink it？
They were just done when Fritz set up an excited yipping in the distance。
Minerva； it was a water hole…a trickle that came out of a rocky face； ran a couple of meters and formed a pool with no outlet。 None that time of year； I should say； as I could see where it overflowed in flood season。 I could see also plenty of animal sign…loper tracks and prairie goat and more that
I…could not identify。 I had ；a feeling that there might be eyei on me； and I tried to grow eyes in the back of my head。 I w~s dusky near the spring； trees and undergrowth were t~iicke and the Sun was getting low。
I was in a dilemma。 I don't know how it happened that om of the free mules had not found this hole as soon or soonei than the dogs； mules can smell 'water。 But mules were certair to be there soon； and I did …not want them to drink too fast Sensible as a mule is； he'll drink too fast and too much if ht is very thirsty。 These mules were extremely thirsty； I wantec ？o watch each one myself； not let one founder。
Besides that I did not… want them walking into that pool it was clear； seemed clean。
The dogs finished drinking。 I looked at Fritz and wished that he could talk as well as a mule。 Did I have anything tc write on？ No； not a durn thing！ If I told him to fetch Dora Fritz would try…but would she e？ I had told her flatly to stay in the kraal till I got back。 Minerva； I wasn't thinkint straight； the heat and no water had got to me。 I should havt given Dora contingency instructions 。 。 because if I stayed away too long and it… started to get dark； she was going te e looking for me no matter what。
Hell； I hadn't even fetched a bucket！
In the meantime I at least had sense enough to scoop up and drink a couple of handfuls of water； Gideon style。 That seemed to… clear my head some。
I dropped the straps of my overalls； got my shirt off； soaked it in water； and gave it to Fritz。 〃Find Dora！ Fetch Dora！ Fast！〃 I think he thought I had gone nuts； but he left； carrying that wet shirt。
Then the first mule showed up…old Buck； praise Allah！… and I ruined a hat。
That hat Zack had fetched as a present for me。 It was alleged to be an all…weather hat； so porous it would let air in； yet so water…repelleOt that it would keep your head dry …in a pouring rain。 The former allegation was only moderately true； the latter I had not had a chance to test。
Buck snorted and was all for going into the water up to his knees； I stopped him。 Then I offered him a hatful。 of Water。 Then a second。 And a third。
〃Enough for now； Buck。 Assembly。 Water call。〃
With his throat wet Buck could do it。 He let out a trumpeting bellow that was mule talk； not English； and I won't attempt to reproduce it； but it meant 〃Line up for water
and nothing else。 〃Fall in to be harnessed〃 was another sort
…of bellow。
Then I was trying to cope with a dozen…odd thirst…crazed mules。 But between me； Buck； Beulah who was Buck's straw boss； Lady Macbeth who was used to helping Buck too…and a hat that wasn't quite all that waterproof…we made it。 I never did learn how seniority was established among mules； but the mules knew and Buck enforced it and water call ale order； and heaven help the youngster who tried crowd in out of turn； the least he could exp；ect was a nipped ear。
By the tim？the last had been given a hatful of water my hat was a mess…but here came Dora with Fritz； her needle gun in her right fist； and； glory be！…two buckets in her left hand。 〃Water call！〃 I told my top sergeant。 〃Line 'em up again； Buck！〃
With two buckets and two of us working we got a full
… bucket into each mule pretty rapidly。 Then I got my shirt
… back from Fritz； scrubbed out the buckets a bit； filled them；
and announced a third water call； telling Buck to let them
drink from the pond。
He did so； but he still maintained discipline。 As Dora and I left； each with a bucket of water in one hand and a drawn gun in the other； Buck to drink one at a time； by seniority。
It was nearly sundown when Dora and I and the dogs got back to the wagons； almost full dark as we finished watering goats and sow and cats and chickens。 Then we celebrated。 Minerva； I swear solemnly： On the half bucket of water we saved for ourselves Dora and I got stinkin' drunk。
Despite earlier resolutions not to stop short of the pass； we bivouacked there three days…but very useful days。 The mules grazed steadily and filled out； plenty of water； plenty of forage。 I shot a prairie goat at the water hole； what we couldn't eat； Dora sliced and dried as jerky。 I filled all the barrels…not as easy as it sounds as Buck and I had to work out a route to the water hole； then I had to chop some； then I had to …take the wagons in one at a time； it took me a day and a half。
But we had cooked fresh meat and all we could eat…and hot baths！ With soap。 With shampoos。 With a shave for me。 I carried Dora's big iron kettle to the pool； she fetched a bucket；
I built ~ fire…then we took turns getting the stink？off； one guarding while the other washed。
When we rollec｝ toward the pass the morning of the fourth day； we were not only in fine shape； but Dora and I smelled good and kept telling each other so； in high spirits。
We were never again short of water。 There was snow somewhere above us； you could feel it in the breeze and sometimes catch … a distant glimpse of white in a saddle between peaks。 The higher we got； the oftener we encountered rivulets； water that never reached … the prairie in so dry a year。 The forage was green and good。
We stopped in a little alp close to the pass。 There I lCft Dora with the wagons and the mules and with flat…footed instructions about what to do in case I did not e back。 〃I expect to be back by dark。 If I am not； you can wait a week。 No longer。 Understand me？〃
〃I understand you。〃…
〃All right。 At the end of a week； lighten the first wagon by chucking out anything you can do …without on trek。 Put all food into that wagon； empty the barrels in the second wagon and put them in the first wagon； turn the sow and the chickens loose； and head back。 Fill all your barrels 。at that trickle we crossed earlier today。 After that；