The Search for Snake River Read online

  Contents

  * * *

  Title Page

  Contents

  Copyright

  Map of the Oregon Trail

  Go West, Explore the Frontier

  South Pass: July 13, 1850

  Page 11

  Page 18

  Page 21

  Page 25

  Page 27

  Page 30

  Page 32

  Page 35

  Page 37

  Page 39

  Page 43

  Page 46

  Page 48

  Page 51

  Page 53

  Page 56

  Page 58

  Page 61

  Page 63

  Page 67

  Page 70

  Page 74

  Page 77

  Page 80

  Page 82

  Page 85

  Page 90

  Page 92

  Page 95

  Page 98

  Page 100

  Page 104

  Page 106

  Page 108

  Page 113

  Page 114

  Page 117

  Page 122

  Page 126

  Page 130

  Page 133

  Page 135

  Page 139

  Page 143

  Page 147

  Three Island Pass: August 24, 1850

  Guide to the Trail

  Dangers!

  Finding Your Way

  Map of the Journey from Devil’s Gate to Three Island Crossing

  Sample Chapter from THE ROAD TO OREGON CITY

  Buy the Book

  Read More from the Oregon Trail Series

  Connect with HMH on Social Media

  Copyright © 2018 by HMH IP Company Unlimited Company. THE OREGON TRAIL and associated logos and design are trademarks of HMH IP Company Unlimited Company.

  All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [email protected] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

  hmhco.com

  Cover art © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  Cover art by Gustavo Viselner

  The display text was set in Pixel-Western, Press Start 2P, and Slim Thin Pixelettes.

  Illustrations by June Brigman, Yancey Labat, Ron Wagner, Hi-Fi Color Design, and Walden Font Co.

  ISBN 978-1-328-55002-6 paper over board

  ISBN 978-1-328-54998-3 paperback

  eISBN 978-1-328-56095-7

  v1.0818

  GO WEST

  Explore the Frontier

  You are a young pioneer headed West by wagon train in the year 1850. You and your family have already braved nearly half of the perilous frontier path known as the Oregon Trail, crossing 820 miles of territory in what will later become the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

  For fifteen miles a day for more than two months, you have walked beside your oxen and covered wagon. You can’t ride in the wagon because it holds everything you need for the journey and for your family’s new lives as farmers in Oregon.

  You’ve crossed mountains, prairies, and rivers, and you’ve passed famous landmarks like Chimney Rock and Devil’s Gate. You’ve also faced wild animals, stampeding buffalo, and learned to start a campfire with dried buffalo dung. You now know how to handle livestock and you’ve met members of the Cheyenne Nation, among other indigenous people. Best of all, there are still months of adventure ahead of you—if you can survive the dangerous ford of the wild Snake River at Three Island Crossing!

  * * *

  Only one path will lead you safely through the book to the Snake River, but there are twenty-three possible endings, full of risks and surprises. Along the way, no matter what path you choose, you will experience natural disasters, sickness, and other hazards of the Trail.

  You’re in a desert without water! What can you do?

  A rattlesnake is ready to strike!

  A forest fire roars nearby, how will you survive?

  Before you begin, make sure to read the Guide to the Trail at the back of the book, starting on page 154. It’s filled with important information you’ll need to make wise choices.

  You’re not alone, and you’ll get advice from friends, Native American people, or Ma and Pa—but sometimes it’s best to trust your own good instincts. Make smart decisions and you’ll find your way to Three Island Crossing!

  Every second counts!

  Think fast.

  What will you do?

  Ready?

  BLAZE A TRAIL TO

  SNAKE RIVER!

  Roll the wagons!” Caleb, your wagon train captain, commands. It’s still early, but you scramble to help get your family’s wagon moving with the rest of the train. Even though you’ve been on the Oregon Trail for over two months now, you’re still impressed with how quickly everyone in your wagon train manages to finish morning chores, have breakfast, and repack the wagons before the starting bugle sounds. Then you set off on a full day’s hike, which usually covers fifteen miles a day, though you’ve slowed down a little since entering the pass through the Rocky Mountains.

  “When can we stop for lunch?” Samuel asks almost as soon as you start walking alongside your wagon.

  You can’t help but smile at him, even as you roll your eyes. Your little brother asks the same question every single day—and always just after breakfast.

  “As soon as you see the sun touch those trees,” Pa replies to Samuel, and points to the distance.

  “Are we going to see anything interesting today?” your younger sister Hannah asks, tugging on Pa’s sleeve.

  You’re curious about what landmarks are ahead, too. A week ago, your wagon train left Devil’s Gate, a towering chasm cut right through the cliffs and the most remarkable sight of your journey so far. Plus, Caleb surprised you by taking you to a spot where you dug for ice, buried underneath the ground.

  “Today we should reach South Pass,” Pa says.

  “It’s the part of the trail where we finally enter into Oregon Territory,” you say. “The Land of Promise!”

  Ma looks at you with a wide smile. “We’ll have finished half of our journey by then,” she says.

  Halfway at last! Your heart swells with pride that your family has made it this far. Ten weeks ago, you started your travels on the Trail in Independence, Missouri, after leaving your comfortable home in Kentucky in March. But then you sigh deeply as you realize that you still have an equally long way to go.

  It’s hard to imagine that this wide and gently sloping path is leading you through the Rocky Mountains. Pa tells you how the pass was discovered by fur traders over thirty years ago. Without the path, getting through the mountains would be impossible for the ten wagons that now make up your train.

  “Here, boy,” your friend Eliza calls out to Archie, your dog. Archie runs up to Eliza with his tail wagging. She hands him a morsel of bacon that she saved for him from breakfast.

  Eliza and her brother, Joseph, Caleb’s children, have become your best friends. Some of your favorite memories of this trip include the time spent exploring and playing games with them. And Archie has become really attached to Eliza, who takes the time to brush his coat after a long day’s hike and always remembers to give him treats.

  You walk for a few hours until it’s time for “nooning,” the midday rest everyone anticipates. Caleb had sent you, Joseph, and Eliza a little ways ahead of the wagons to help scout for a nice spot to rest. Ma likes the midday break because no one has to build a fire or cook anything. Instead, she pulls out leftovers from breakfast as a snack. You happily nibble on some cold flapjacks that
were cooked in bacon grease, while the oxen rest and sip from the stream nearby.

  “These are the Pacific Springs,” Pa says. “We’ve left home waters behind.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” Caleb says, raising his water-skin with a grin. “From this point onward all waters flow into the Pacific Ocean instead of the Atlantic. We have just crossed the Continental Divide.”

  You take a moment to think about what that means. You’ve moved from the eastern part of the continent into the West. Amazing!

  Hannah and Samuel take a nap in the wagon, lying on their feather mats. You notice the soles of their sturdy walking shoes are almost completely worn out again after being repaired just a few weeks ago. Yours are in equally bad shape, and the rocky terrain ahead is only going to be rougher.

  “We all need to make a very big decision in a couple days,” you hear Caleb tell your folks. “We’ll be reaching the Parting of the Ways.”

  You listen closely. With a name like that, you know it has to be important.

  “At that point, there are two ways to go,” Caleb continues. “We can continue on the Trail, or take the Greenwood Cutoff.”

  “What is the cutoff?” Ma asks.

  “It’s a shortcut that will take at least five or six days off our journey,” Caleb explains. “But it will take us through a desert.”

  “How many miles of desert would we have to cross?” you ask.

  “About fifty,” Caleb explains.

  “What’s the other option?” Pa asks.

  “We’d be heading south, toward Fort Bridger, and would have to cross the Green River,” Caleb replies. “I’ve heard good and bad things about both options, so think about it.”

  For the next two days, all everyone talks about is the Parting of the Ways. When you finally approach the famous fork in the Trail, it is unmistakable. One set of wagon ruts leads to the left, toward Fort Bridger, while the other leads right, toward the cutoff. In the middle is a wooden pole. Plastered on it are scraps of paper with the names of those who have traveled through already, indicating which road each of them decided to take.

  People in your group have strong opinions about which path is better. Some are convinced that saving a week with the cutoff is the only option that makes sense, even if it means crossing a desert. Others are frightened by the idea of a waterless journey and want to stick with the road to Fort Bridger, even if it means crossing the tricky Green River.

  Pa turns to you to help decide which way to go.

  “What do you think we should do?” he asks.

  If you say you should head to Fort Bridger, turn to page 126

  If you say you should take the Greenwood Cutoff, turn to page 106

  Okay, let’s run!” Joseph whispers, pulling you up by the hand. “Once they see us taking off toward our camp, they will probably leave us alone.”

  You start to move, hoping Joseph is right. The Shoshone people are still several yards away from you.

  But suddenly you see Pa and Caleb approaching on horseback. They have found you!

  Caleb brandishes his rifle. “Halt!” he shouts. You realize that he thinks you are in danger. But no one has done anything to you!

  All the Shoshone people draw their bows and point arrows toward Pa and Caleb. Your heart is pounding as you realize this could start a battle. And Pa and Caleb are outnumbered.

  “Hold on!” you shout, jumping in between them.

  Joseph raises his arms. “We’re okay, we’re okay,” he says breathlessly.

  You see Pa look at you with a mixture of fear, anger, and relief. You feel a rush of guilt realizing how worried he must have been about you.

  Caleb dismounts from his horse and walks slowly toward you. He’s still holding his weapon, facing the drawn bows and arrows. Pa starts to get off his horse when an arrow zings through the air near his horse’s neck.

  “Whoa!” Pa cries. The horse startles and then takes off, with one of Pa’s legs still in the stirrup.

  “Pa!” you shout, as your father starts to get pulled along the ground. Caleb races after the horse on foot, trying to get it to stop. It finally does, but only after Pa has been dragged for several feet.

  Caleb and a young Shoshone man help Pa down. You watch nervously as they lay Pa on the ground and carefully examine his injuries. Pa is unconscious and his leg is twisted in a way that it shouldn’t be. It makes you want to throw up.

  The Shoshone people end up taking all of you back to camp. They send a healer to help set Pa’s leg straight and give him some medicine to help him. But it will be several months before Pa can walk again, and he’s likely to limp for the rest of his life. In the meantime, he’ll have to give up his dream, which has become your dream, too, of getting to Oregon.

   THE END

  Return to page 39

  You’re so upset about what happened to Gertrude that you agree to accept the gift from the Native American people. The animal skins won’t bring your pet back, but they might come in handy for your family along the Trail. Maybe Ma can use them to make moccasins for your family when your shoes wear out completely. Your feet ache in your hard shoes, and the soles have worn thin, even though Pa repairs them with buckskins any chance he gets. The Lakota men bring you the skins, along with a beautiful woven blanket. They hand you the gifts, nod, and quickly leave. They seem kind, and, as they ride away on their horses, you wonder what type of relationship you might have had if you had tried to be friends.

  You continue to travel toward Fort Bridger, plodding along as usual. But you start to feel more and more tired. Every day seems harder than the last. The walking for miles each day is almost unbearable.

  One day, you try to sit in the wagon instead of walking. “What’s the matter?” Pa asks.

  “I’m not sure,” you reply. “My legs are feeling really tired.”

  “Okay,” Pa says. “Rest up as much as you can.” You know that sitting in the wagon just makes the trip harder on the oxen, but Pa looks at you with concern and lets you stay there longer than usual. That night, when you make camp, you don’t feel like eating much.

  “You’ve hardly touched your food,” Ma says, examining your plate. “Is something wrong with it?”

  “No, it’s great,” you say, picking at the cornmeal pudding with bits of bacon in it. “I’m just not feeling very hungry.”

  You see Ma exchange a worried look with Pa. You try to force yourself to take a few more bites, but the pudding won’t go down your throat.

  Later, as you lie in your tent, your legs ache and you have trouble falling asleep. Ma comes in to check on you while you are tossing and turning on your feather mat. You feel a cool hand on your forehead.

  “You don’t have a fever,” Ma says. “I don’t know what is wrong with you.”

  “I’ll be okay, Ma,” you say. “I probably just need to sleep.”

  But the next morning you feel even worse. You trudge along, even though it’s hard to catch your breath. When everyone sits down to rest and snack during the midday break, you just rest your head on the side of the wagon. You can’t eat anything at all.

  Ma and Pa talk about what to do for you.

  “I’m going to mix you up a drink of water, sugar, and salt,” Ma says. “That might help bring back some of your energy.”

  “Or what about a little citric acid mixed with some water and vinegar?” Pa suggests.

  You don’t feel like eating or drinking anything. But you know you have to take something. What do you ask for?

  If you choose the sugar and salt drink, turn to page 46

  If you choose the citric acid mixture, turn to page 130

  Return to page 100

  Everyone agrees that the windlass sounds too risky to try. They want to stick to something more familiar, so they decide to just lead the oxen up the steep hill very slowly.

  Pa tries to lighten the wagon for the animals by giving each of you something to carry. You have to haul a sack of coffee beans in a bag across your back.

/>   The rocky hill proves tricky to climb. You watch each of your steps carefully to make sure you don’t stumble. Pa leads the oxen up the hill, holding their yokes with a rope.

  THUD!

  One of the oxen slips on a rock and falls to his knees. The ox sharing his yoke falls, too. But with some coaxing, they get back on their feet and resume inching their way up the hill. When you finally get to the top, Pa takes a look at them and sadly shakes his head.

  “I think this one might have a break in his leg,” he says. “And the other one’s knees look shaky.”

  “I’ll clean them and wrap them up,” Ma offers.

  “That might help for now,” Pa says. “But these animals will need time to heal. We can camp here for a few days and see if some rest is good enough. Or we can go back to Fort Bridger and see if they still have extra oxen for sale. That might save us some time.”

  What do you do?

  If you head back to Fort Bridger, turn to page 51

  If you give the oxen some rest, turn to page 30

  Return to page 143

  If we try to run, the flames will just keep coming after us,” Pa argues. “We won’t be able to stop running.”

  You grab your bedrolls and some food from your wagon, and start leading the oxen up the mountains. Everyone is moving so quickly, it’s hard not to stumble and slip on the rocks. You pull Hannah by the hand as you make your way upward. She tries her best to keep up, but at times you have to just yank her and drag her along.