Big Sarah had been packing, bundling and tying together all her worldly possessions for the last two weeks. The canvassed wagon could only carry 2000 pounds of goods and sundries. Food being the first of importance all else had to follow suit. Only four by ten feet, it was gonna be tight quarters. Tater and Bear Willy had worked on the wagon for weeks now. Oiling down the canvas, tar strapping the joints and see-throughs to keep the water out when river crossing was necessary. A plenty of axel grease for the wheels, wagon bench sores and a multitude of burns. Barrel weights of flour, beans and bacon. Measures of coffee, salt, sugar, corn meal, dried herbs and peppers. Most all was done now and with the packing of clothes and such she was bout through.

Tater and Bear Willy had worked on the wagon out in the old barn since sunrise and Big Sarah needed to feed em. She had long time packed the big iron skillet and pots so best she could do was toss a few yams into the coals of the cook stove and lay a few of yesterdays biscuits on the stove top to warm. Coffee pot would be the last thing to pack. Tater and Bear Willy had taken up with Big Sarah about three years ago when they heard she wanted to go to California and was a dream they shared also.

Tater showed up at the open door. “Wana see the wagon, Big Sarah?”
“Sure”. Tater escorted her out to the barn. Tater was about as simple as a sign post. Barely over five feet tall and when ya talked to him too long his right eye tended to get bored and look away. Still, he was a good man and like Bear Willy was very protective of Big Sarah, all 230 pounds of her.

Bear Willy was just jumping off the back of the wagon when the two walked into the barn and he went over and stood by Tater. “We’ll pack all ya stuff tonight and I figger we be gone by sunrise.” Bear Willy liked these moments of authority. He was well over 6 foot and weighed pretty much same as Big Sara. Like Tater, he had a heart for Big Sarah.

Big Sarah eyed the “prairie schooner” from one end to the other and then told the men, “OK”, and then walked back to the cabin. The two men were smiling ear to ear. Big Sarah was a woman of few and little words.

The wagon and four oxen took almost threes years to save for. Tater worked odd jobs on the various farms, Bear Willy broke heads for the owner of the Riverhouse Saloon while Big Sarah sold “humps” to customers up stairs. They still owed some on the oxen but they planned to send the money back after they reached California and found wealth.
 

At sunrise the men harnessed four oxen, packed the rest of Big Sarah’s belongings, double checked the food and water, set the old barn and farmhouse on fire and headed west. It would take six months to reach California but first it would take two weeks before they crossed out of Massura. It was 1850. They were now emigrants and homeless.

The plan was to reach the Montana Territory and follow the main trail along the Platte and Sweetwater Rivers to South Pass, where the route continued to Fort Bridger and then turned northwest to reach the Snake River at Fort Hall. California bound emigrants turned southwest at the Raft River to reach the Humboldt River artery and on over the Sierra Nevada to California. That’s what the dollar pamphlet directed that they bought in Massura. Big Sarah read the directions often to the two men and as always Tatter’s right eye would stair elsewhere and Bear Willy would just scratch himself. “Follow the sun”, she would tell them and they obeyed.
   

They had been on the trail for two months. Food was running out faster than Big Sarah had planned on. The men kept their eyes open for game but other than a jack rabbit or prairie dog from time to time, that was it. One heat soaked afternoon while Tater was riding the back of one of the oxen he got excited and pointed to the top of a small hill. There were half a dozen buffalo grazing this side of the hill. Bear Willy pulled up the team of animals and slowly slid off the seat and down to the ground. Big Sara was in the wagon asleep. Reaching behind the wagon seat he pulled out two old muzzle loaders. By then, Tatter was on the ground and reaching for one of the muskets. The two worked their way around the wagon and got down on all fours and started crawling through the tall prairie grass towards the small hill and dinner. Closer they got the more they could smell the sour musty odor of the beast. The closer they got the more the beast could smell the sour sweat odor of the men.

Big Sarah stuck her head out of the wagon and yelled, “Where the hell are you two?”
With that, the buffalo jerked their heads up with a snort. The two men also jerked their heads around in surprise and then jumped up in hopes of getting off a shot. The bison had already reached the other side of the hill and you could hear their galloping fading away. Disappointed and a little ticked at Big Sarah they headed back to the wagon. Then they stopped and turned around. They could hear the buffalo heading back their way from over the hill! Both men brought their muskets to their shoulders and waited.
                          

“What the hell’s up with you two?” Hollered Big Sarah. “Need to be quiet a spell, Big Sarah”, answered Bear Willy. “We got huntin ta do.”, replied Tater. At that very moment the buffalo came back over the hill. Along with all their kin. Must have been maybe a few hundred but no one was counting with Tater and Bear Willy running as fast as they was and not looking back for dear life. Big Sarah stared with gapping mouth and then hollered, “Shoot one of the damn things.” Between pants Bear Willy shouted back for Big Sarah to move over. A moment later the two men had froged their way over the wagon seat and into the flailing arms of the cussing woman.

The herd passed by them just a little distance away so they were spared any calamity other than the oxen shaking and defecating.

The two men jumped back out of the wagon and tore out after any strays. Big Sarah got herself back in order and decided to get midday grub cookin. She got a small fire lit up and rigged a cook pot over it with water and the makings for rabbit chili. She crawled back into the wagon to get chili’s and when she jumped back out the back again she landed in front of four mounted Indians. The Indians were started when the big woman jumped out and two of their ponies backed up and had to be calmed. Looking at Big Sarah with her full multi layered dress on, bright yellow ribbon in her hair and possibly the largest woman any of them had ever seen was a sight that required a few moments of observation. The Indians stared at her and she stared at them. The braves were attired only in loin cloths and a few raggedy feathers. They had tight narrow eyes and very prominent noses. No war paint as most settlers expected. Sarah prepared herself for the here-after. One brave slowly rode over and stopped next to her. He reached down and started pulling the yellow ribbon out of her hair which was not a well thought out move. Big Sarah grabbed his wrist and yanked him off his mount and before he ever hit the ground she slammed her fist into his face and broke his prominent nose. His pony ran off while another threw his rider. The remaining two Indians yelped and were trying to notch their arrows when Bear Willy and Tater came up behind them with muskets cocked. The brave that was laying at Big Sarah’s feet was spouting some kind of death prayer.

The four Indians were Sioux and had been following the herd of buffalo for several days. Hungry and tired they were no better off than the settlers but none the less were at their mercy. “What we do, Big Sarah?”, asked Tater. “Eat em,” replied the woman. The men folk just stared at the woman and she shook her head and said, “I’m kiddin, pea brains. Tie em up then check ta see if they got any grub.” This done, Tater returned with two rabbits and half a dozen bush mice. “That’s all they had.” She turned and walked towards the cook fire while she torn the pelts off the game.

An hour later the pot was churning with beans, rabbit, mice, desert yams and sweet peppers. Good fare considering the circumstances. She surprised her companions when she told Tater to untie their prisoners and give em each a bowl of stew and a biscuit. Bear Willy kept his musket at the ready.

The big woman was known to have thrown more than a few of her customers out the second story window of the Riverhouse Hotel and Saloon. She was also known for helping out down on their luck farmers with a free hump and a silver dollar for their pocket. Men respected her, women shunned her and most horses feared her. She was unique.

Shortly before dust she told Tater to bring the ponies over and then untie their guest. This done, Tater and Bear Willy stepped back and waited at the ready. The braves mounted up and just sat there and stared at the wild woman. Then she said “Git!!” Seems this must be injun talk cause they did just that and quick. A few moments later you could hear them whooping and yelping up a storm. Big Sarah slept under the wagon where it was cooler that night but the two men sat back to back and waited for the massacre.

In the morning when the two men woke out of their half sleep and confirmed they still had their hair they had a cold breakfast and then got on the trail again. Mid morning they came on the Indians again. The braves had evidently caught up with the herd and had been successful. Each horse pulled a travois, consisting of two poles joined by a frame and covered with fresh buffalo hides. Under the hides was a wealth of meat. As the Indians were passing one stopped and got off his horse. He pulled a nice hind quarter of meat from under the hides and handed it up to Tater sitting on the wagon bench. Tater looked at Big Sarah and then took the meat. Big Sarah nodded to the Indian. Moments later they were gone. The rest of the day, while Bear Willy steered the oxen, Big Sarah and Tater stripped the meat and hung the thin pieces inside the wagon to dry. That night and for the next two nights they ate good and there was enough curing jerky for at lease two more weeks.

Time passed and rivers were forged, mountains crossed and grass prairies sailed. Six months, three weeks and one day were behind them. They crossed into California on a rainy September afternoon. The three stayed together in Sacramento for another five months. Big Sarah got work singing and selling humps at the Weatherford hotel and saloon. Tater and Bear Willy got the gold fever and finally let out together for Coloma, California. Big Sarah got news months later that Tater died of fever and Bear Willy buried him next to their camp on the Mokelumne river. Bear Willy then headed north and Big Sarah never heard from him again. 
              

Five years later Big Sarah ended up owning most of the hotel and saloon and with the territory now being a state she wanted to cater more to the politicians and uppity ups that were now visiting the growing city. She worked her own girls, mostly Spanish, and had a new refined restaurant in the hotel. Life was good. She died of cholera, along with most of her girls and two congressmen in 1859. She was 45.