"I'll be gone this morning with the oxen, Mary Ann. It's our turn at the blacksmith's shop. He's charging a fair price for the oxen - one dollar per hoof, same as for the horses, even though he has to put on two separate plates, one for each half of the split hoof on the oxen. I'm having the four oxen on the spare team shod also. They aren't pulling much of the time, but they will have the same distance to go and they need to be ready to replace our best team if necessary."
"Thirty-two dollars sounds like a lot of money, James."
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| Ox shoe for one half of the cloven hoof, by
Justlettersandnumbers Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication |
"Don't worry, Mary Ann. We planned for these expenses. Our wagon and wheels don't need repair, so it is less than is set aside. Would you like to see if there is a new sunbonnet, or perhaps moccasins, that you'd like to buy?"
"Thank you James, I'll look for moccasins. My shoes are so worn already. Is there anything you need from the store here?"
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| Moccasins by Santee Sioux - maybe similar to the pair Mary Ann purchased |
"I'm getting another pair of boots. We have over fourteen hundred miles left to go, and I didn't bring an extra pair when we left home. At least the leather goods here are a reasonable price."
"I'm going to buy moccasins for Mary Jane too. She will be walking everywhere before we get to Oregon. I wish Eliza could see her now. She'd be so proud of her."
"I know you miss your sister, Mary Ann. I wish she could be here too. We'll just have to love Mary Jane double - once for us, her aunt and uncle, and twice for her mother being gone."
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