The Wagon Train Trek Read online

  Contents

  * * *

  Title Page

  Contents

  Copyright

  Map of the Oregon Trail

  Go West, Young Pioneer

  Gardner Junction: April 27, 1855

  Page 11

  Page 18

  Page 20

  Page 23

  Page 25

  Page 27

  Page 29

  Page 31

  Page 36

  Page 39

  Page 43

  Page 45

  Page 50

  Page 53

  Page 57

  Page 59

  Page 62

  Page 66

  Page 69

  Page 71

  Page 76

  Page 78

  Page 83

  Page 86

  Page 88

  Page 89

  Page 91

  Page 95

  Page 101

  Page 104

  Page 106

  Page 109

  Page 111

  Page 117

  Page 118

  Page 120

  Page 126

  Page 127

  Page 129

  Page 134

  Page 135

  Page 140

  Page 143

  Page 147

  Page 150

  Page 155

  Page 160

  Oregon City: September 19, 1855

  Guide to the Trail

  Dangers!

  Finding Your Way

  Sample Chapter from ALONE IN THE WILD

  Buy the Book

  Read More from the Oregon Trail Series

  Connect with HMH on Social Media

  Copyright © 2019 HMH IP Company Unlimited Company. THE OREGON TRAIL and associated logos and design are trademarks of HMH IP Company Unlimited Company.

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

  Cover art © 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

  Illustrations and cover art by Gustavo Viselner

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file.

  ISBN 978-1-328-62714-8 paper over board

  ISBN 978-1-328-62715-5 paperback

  eISBN 978-0-358-05594-5

  v1.0219

  GO WEST,

  Young Pioneer

  It’s 1855, and you and your family are headed west to Oregon City to start a new life. Your pa is a doctor—and the leader of your wagon train. You’re getting older now, so it’s your responsibility to help Pa and Ma, along with your two Newfoundland dogs. You will lead your team of six wagons from Independence, Missouri, all the way to Oregon City. Pa is eager to join a new practice there, and you’re excited for a new home, wide open spaces, and the journey ahead.

  But it won’t be easy. Your trek is fraught with many dangers. Bad weather, dishonest people, and disease are just a few challenges that can end your trip on the Trail. As the wagon-train captains, it’s your job to make sure that everyone gets to Oregon City safely. The folks in your wagon train might not always agree, so you’ll also need to be the mediators and carefully settle any disputes. Choose carefully, listen to others, and make wise decisions. Above all, keep your wagon train together.

  * * *

  Only one path will get you safely to Oregon City. There are twenty-three possible endings full of danger, surprises, and adventure.

  You have to cross a dangerous river; how do you do it?

  You’re surrounded by howling coyotes; what do you do?

  Your wagon train is at odds; will you split up?

  Your decisions along the way might send you somewhere unexpected or put you at odds with other pioneers. Or, even worse—you might not make it!

  Before you start, be sure to read the Guide to the Trail on page 168. It will prepare you to make wiser choices.

  At some points along the Trail, you’ll get advice from guides, people from various Native American Nations like the Kansa, the Cayuse, and the Klickitat; from members of your wagon train; or from Ma and Pa. At other times, you’ll have to trust yourself to make the right decisions. Choose wrong, and you’ll never make it to Oregon City!

  It’s up to you!

  What will you choose?

  Ready?

  LET’S BLAZE A TRAIL TO

  OREGON CITY!

  Rise and shine!”

  You roll over and groan. It’s just before dawn at Gardner Junction, where the Oregon Trail and Santa Fe Trail split off. Pa and Ma have already risen with the other wagon-train families. They are feeding the oxen and preparing a hot breakfast over the campfire.

  It’s been nearly fifty miles since you, Pa, Ma, and your two Newfoundland dogs, George Washington and King George III, left Independence, Missouri. It was the last major settlement before starting on the Oregon Trail. Pa is a doctor who has received an invitation to help start a practice out in Oregon City. Doctors are desperately needed in the West, and your family couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Not only is he the doctor caring for your entire wagon train, but he’s also the leader. There are six wagons in total—one man, Mr. Mason, is a banker with two wagons. Your family owns one, and the other three wagons belong to the Whittakers, the O’Neils, and the Joneses. As the wagon-train leaders, your family is responsible for making sure everyone gets to Oregon City safely.

  So far you’ve crossed over pleasant open prairie and gentle hills, but the Trail will only get more difficult from here. The stopping points and trading posts are few and far between, so you must ration your food and plan your travel route carefully. The land will become rockier and more treacherous, and sudden storms could wipe out your entire wagon train in an instant. Accidents are common on the Trail, as well as sickness and even death.

  You’ve already been walking nearly eighteen miles a day since leaving Independence, but you’d like nothing more than to roll back over and sleep just a few more minutes.

  “Hurry up before breakfast has come and gone!” Pa flips the bacon. “Up and at ’em. Slugabed didn’t even hear the morning bugle!”

  You hear the sizzle of bacon. The delicious smell wafts into your tent.

  One of your dogs starts whining. Pa laughs. “All right, you scoundrel, you’ll get your food in a minute.”

  You can’t let your dogs get to the food before you! You quickly dress, put away your bedroll, and clamber out of your tent. The grass is soft and green beneath your feet, and bunches of sunny yellow wildflowers sway in the cool April breeze. You know it isn’t always going to be this pleasant on the Trail, but right now, all you care about is bacon.

  King George III and George Washington bound up to you, covering you with slobbering licks. You laugh and push them away.

  “I’m awake, I’m awake!” You take a seat next to Pa and help him pour cups of coffee for everyone.

  Ma enters your small camp, pulling your dairy cow behind her. “Don’t let those dogs near that food! There’s plenty of rabbits about.”

  “Did Trixie wander off again?” You take a bite of bacon. “That blasted cow!”

  Ma nods, tying Trixie carefully to the back of the wagon. “We need to make sure she’s always tied up during the night. I don’t know how she got free. Don’t we have dogs to herd her back in?” She shoots a dry look to both the Georges. They just wag their tails. “Hmph! No tasty bacon for you lazy hounds.”

  King George plops to the ground with a huff.

  You slip the massiv
e, shaggy dogs each half a bacon strip anyway. Their tails wag gratefully.

  “Your ma’s right, though.” Pa wipes morning dew from his spectacles. “Food will get precious up ahead on the Trail. We have to make sure we conserve our supplies and plan out exactly what we should ration.”

  You have just over six hundred pounds of food on the wagon—two hundred for each person—and you’ll need to restock at trading posts and hunt where you can.

  As you sink your teeth into a warm hunk of bread, you grimace at the thought of going months without a big slice of Ma’s famous apple pie. Your mouth waters at the thought of dessert. You didn’t realize how many things you’d miss until these past few days, but you know that adventure and opportunity lie ahead in Oregon City!

  As the sun rises over the flat horizon, you help Pa and Ma clean up from breakfast and prepare for the day’s long travel ahead. As the only child, it’s your responsibility to help feed and care for the animals, cook, and clean. You also keep a journal of your time on the Trail. You finish your entry from yesterday, which unfortunately isn’t that exciting.

  Mrs. Whittaker approaches your campsite. “Dr. Howard, Mrs. Howard, good morning.” Her husband, Mr. Whittaker, is a skilled carpenter and is expected to be instrumental in fixing broken axles and repairing damaged wheels on the Trail. They have three children: Annie and Matthew, who are about your age, and a baby named William. Annie and Matthew have daily chores like you, but they also have a horse and some livestock. They get to take turns riding on horseback to herd loose livestock, including your own cow, Trixie, who always wanders off. You wish you had a horse, too. After only a few days of walking, your legs already ache.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Whittaker.” Ma grabs the coffee kettle. “Care for some?”

  Mrs. Whittaker shakes her head. “No, thank you. I’m sorry to disturb you, but I know we need to start moving soon, and . . . I wonder if you’ve heard the rumors going around?”

  Pa frowns and glances at Ma. “What rumors?” Ma shakes her head.

  “There’s a bad bout of cholera up ahead on the Trail.” Mrs. Whittaker points. “A few families want to try for the Santa Fe Trail instead.”

  Pa adjusts his spectacles. “That sounds a bit hasty. We should ask someone who knows the Oregon Trail better than we do. I’m sure we can find a guide among the other wagon trains here before they leave.”

  Mrs. Whittaker puts her hands on her hips. “Do you really want to risk it?”

  Pa and Ma look at each other, then turn to you.

  “You’re old enough to help make this kind of decision. What do you think we should do?”

  If you want ask a local Oregon Trail guide about potential sickness ahead, turn to page 31

  If you want split up and go on the Santa Fe Trail, turn to page 69

  You’re old enough to help your parents make important decisions along the Trail—why not make this one too? You glance over at Ma. She’s still deep in conversation with the two Kansa women. You learn their names are Tajé Mi and Ke Wák’o.

  “You’ve got yourself a deal.” You shake the fur trader’s hand and he thrusts three blankets at you. Before you know it, all your spending money is gone—and so is the fur trader. He disappears out a side door in a blink of an eye.

  You try to ignore the funny smell emanating from the blankets and rush up to Ma. “Look what I got! Now we’ll be sure to stay warm in the mountains.”

  Ma frowns. “Where did you get those from?”

  “A fur trader. He just left.”

  “That man with the fur hat?” You nod and she shakes her head. “Oh, dear.”

  “That man is a crook.” Tajé Mi points to the door. “There is a warrant out for his arrest. Soldiers outside have been looking for him.”

  You stare down at the blankets. “What should I do with these?”

  “Throw them away.” Tajé Mi looks to Ke Wák’o. “They are likely not good blankets.”

  You don’t want to tell Ma that you spent all your money on these. When you and Ma head back to the corral, you sneak them into the back of your wagon.

  You use the blankets that night and discover that they are threadbare and ratty. You’re cold so you use one of them anyway.

  You wake up in the morning with small bites all over your body. The blankets are infested with bugs! You feel queasy and your head hurts.

  Within the next few days, you burn up with a fever. You have chills, stomach pain, and a rash. Deadly tick fever has set in.

   THE END

  Return to page 120

  You and the other families are split over what to do. To keep the peace, you tell Pa that going downhill and avoiding Devil’s Backbone might be the better option.

  “It might give the oxen a chance to rest for a little while.” Pa wipes his hands on his kerchief. “All right. We’ll head downhill from here.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Mason are relieved. Their oxen were tired out after the slog through the river, and they’ve already lost so many supplies.

  After you and Pa gather large rocks to weigh down the wagons, you help the oxen gradually make their way down the steep descent of the rocky terrain. Then, you hear a shout. One of the wagons has tipped over.

  Pa and the others rush to help, leaving you to hold the oxen steady on the sharp incline. They manage to right the wagon.

  “Before we go on, we need to throw out anything we don’t need.” Pa wipes his brow. “The wagons are too top-heavy. It’s too risky.”

  Mr. Mason turns purple. But Pa and the others are in agreement. Even you and Ma must throw out household items and a few gardening tools.

  “Hopefully someone will come along and find a use for them.” Ma looks at the objects scattered along the Trail.

  You give her hand a squeeze. “I’m sure they will.”

  * * *

  That evening, when you’ve corralled your wagon train, you hear the sound of hoofbeats. Five men on mangy horses enter your camp. They say they’re a group of fur traders.

  “We’re just passing through.” Their leader smiles a toothless grin. “Nice wagons ya got there.”

  “Thank you.” Pa tips his hat. “Good luck with your hunting, gentleman.”

  You don’t like the way they eye your wagons. They look more like a group of desperate bandits than fur traders. After they’ve passed your campsite, you tell Pa and Ma your concerns.

  “I don’t trust them either.” Ma turns to Pa. “We met some fur traders back in Independence. These men seemed very different.”

  “Well, what do you think we should do?” Pa’s brow is furrowed.

  “Maybe we can keep a special watch tonight.” Ma paces by the fire. “What do you think?”

  If you stop and keep a special night watch, turn to page 83

  If you think you should keep moving, turn to page 140

  Return to page 111

  You should try to get help.” You look up and see the worsening weather. Maybe if Ma leaves now, before the snow gets too deep, she’ll be able to blaze a trail to Fort Boise and bring back a group of people on horseback.

  The wind howls and lashes thick snow against your tent. You huddle under blankets, trembling. A sudden ache settles into the pit of your stomach. You fight back a wave of nausea. It’s just nerves. Nothing more.

  Ma’s hands are on her hips. “I don’t like the thought of leaving you here on your own . . . Especially when your pa’s not looking so well . . .”

  “I’ll take care of him, Ma.” You pull up the blanket. “You should go now before the storm gets worse.”

  Ma wraps a thick scarf around her neck and puts on Pa’s jacket. “Try to keep the campfire going and keep giving him water—only water that’s been fully boiled. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She disappears through the flaps of the tent.

  Hours pass. Pa shakes uncontrollably—and it only gets worse. But he’s not the only one. You begin to feel so weak, you can hardly move, much less keep the campfire going.

  You collapse
as darkness sinks over you. Your wagon train trek ends here.

   THE END

  Return to page 66

  You decide that there’s nothing for you in Big Springs. Pa still has a job offer in Oregon City, so you keep moving forward. Other families don’t agree. The Whittakers decide to head back to Big Springs to get work there.

  You’re sad to see Annie and Matthew go, but you have to focus on hunting. You have no money left for food. Soon, you and Pa are out on the plains hunting for jackrabbits and antelope. The Masons and the Joneses team up and look for berries in the brush. You see something move in the grass a distance away. Pa is busy looking for larger game, so you hurry over to see what it is. But it’s not a rabbit.

  It’s a rattlesnake! You hear the hiss and rattle of its tail as it sizes you up.

  You’re frozen, not sure what to do. But you see that it’s curled up right next to a dead jackrabbit. A rabbit whose fur you could sell and whose meat could feed your family tonight. But snakebites can be deadly. You probably should run away.

  But you desperately want that rabbit.

  You pick up a rock and throw it at the snake. You miss, and it hisses, lashing out toward you. You jump back, and your ankle is stuck in a prairie dog hole. You let out a cry.

  But the next second, a new pain sinks into your leg. The snake bit you! Dizzy, you try to shout for Pa, but it’s too late. Your journey ends here.