Wensday 23rd Jany 1822
Horses out Early—High Wind and Clear—tho a little Cloudey before day light—the Hole of this month up to this time Clear Hard frosts at night the last ten days Warm the Ice Which Was Eighteen [inches] thick on the River is nearly gon and the River oppen—Caught one bever and lost one trap Which Caught a bever Which pulled up the Stake to which the trap Was fasned and all Went off together—the Horses all up at night two of the men drove a Hors Soposed to Have Strayed from the Indeans—the men now begin to gro verey un Easey no Word from the Conl—He promised to Send Peno back in fifteen days it is now twenty three days and no Word We Exspect they are all prisnors—and that a party of Spanierds to take [us] will be Heare Shortly but them We Intend to fight and not be taken and not leeve our House till the month is out—and then go to Some Secure place in the mountains and Remain traping and Hunting till the grass groes So that our Horses Can travel a Cross the grand Pirarie and then make our Way Home