But now, the next morning, I must turn my back upon the town, and travel with them into the vast and desolate wilderness, I knew not whither. It is not my tongue, or pen, can express the sorrows of my heart, and bitterness of my spirit that I had at this departure: but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail. One of the Indians carried my poor wounded babe upon a horse; it went moaning all along, "I shall die, I shall die." I went on foot after it, with sorrow that cannot be expressed. At length I took it off the horse, and carried it in my arms till my strength failed, and I fell down with it. Then they set me upon a horse with my wounded child in my lap, and there being no furniture upon the horse's back, as we were going down a steep hill we both fell over the horse's head, at which they, like inhumane creatures, laughed, and rejoiced to see it, though I thought we should there have ended our days, as overcome with so many difficulties. But the Lord renewed my strength still, and carried me along, that I might see more of His power; yea, so much that I could never have thought of, had I not experienced it.
But the next morning, I had to turn my back on the town and travel with them into the vast, desolate wilderness. I did not know where we were going. Neither words nor writing can express my heart’s sorrow and my bitter anguish as I left. But God was with me in a wonderful way. He carried me along and sustained my spirit so that I did not lose heart completely. One of the Indians carried my poor wounded baby on a horse. My child moaned the whole way, "I shall die, I shall die." I followed on foot, filled with sorrow beyond words. At last, I took my child off the horse and carried my child in my arms until my strength failed. Then I fell down with my child. The Indians then put me on a horse with my wounded child in my lap. There was no saddle or other equipment on the horse’s back. As we went down a steep hill, my child and I both fell over the horse’s head. The Indians laughed like cruel, inhuman creatures and delighted in seeing us fall. Yet I thought we would die there, overwhelmed by so many hardships. But the Lord kept renewing my strength and carrying me along so that I might see more of his power. Indeed, I saw so much of his power that I could never have imagined it without experiencing it.
After this it quickly began to snow, and when night came on, they stopped, and now down I must sit in the snow, by a little fire, and a few boughs behind me, with my sick child in my lap; and calling much for water, being now (through the wound) fallen into a violent fever. My own wound also growing so stiff that I could scarce sit down or rise up; yet so it must be, that I must sit all this cold winter night upon the cold snowy ground, with my sick child in my arms, looking that every hour would be the last of its life; and having no Christian friend near me, either to comfort or help me. Oh, I may see the wonderful power of God, that my Spirit did not utterly sink under my affliction: still the Lord upheld me with His gracious and merciful spirit, and we were both alive to see the light of the next morning.
Soon after this, snow began to fall. When night came, they stopped. Now I had to sit in the snow beside a small fire, with a few branches behind me. My sick child lay in my lap, asking repeatedly for water because the wound had brought on a severe fever. My own wound was also becoming so stiff that I could hardly sit down or stand up. Yet I had no choice but to sit all that cold winter night on the cold, snowy ground. I held my sick child in my arms, expecting each hour to be the child's last. I had no Christian friend nearby to comfort or help me. Oh, I can see God's wonderful power in how my spirit did not completely collapse under my suffering. Still, the Lord sustained me with his gracious and merciful spirit. We were both alive to see the next morning's light.