The Road to Oregon City Read online

  You can’t imagine turning back at this point. Pa brought you so far, and to return to Kentucky without him would be even more heartbreaking than continuing. You’re more determined than ever to make it to Oregon City.

  You tell Ma your decision, and she nods. She looks so frail, it frightens you. As it grows later in the day, you hear horses approaching and freeze. You aren’t sure whether to run and get Pa’s rifle or sit still and wait to see who it is. While you are hesitating, two men become visible.

  “You all need some help?” one of them asks. From the looks of them, you guess they are fur traders.

  “Yes, please,” Ma speaks up before you have a chance. “My husband passed away, and we need help getting to Oregon City. I can pay you.”

  The men look at each other and then back at Ma.

  “Sure, ma’am,” the same man says, and then they help you bury Pa, which is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do in your life.

  Later, you hear the men talking to each other, after they check out your wagon and your animal team. Then they return to you and Ma.

  “We’ll need a fee of two hundred dollars to get you to Oregon City from here,” the man who seems to be in charge says.

  Two hundred dollars! You feel yourself get hot with anger. Who has that kind of money to spare? You take Ma aside.

  “That is robbery,” you whisper. “I think they are taking advantage of us.”

  “What choice do we have?” Ma says. “I’ll give them my jewelry to get us to Oregon City safely.”

  Pa gave Ma those jewels, and he would want her to have them. But he would also feel more comfortable if you weren’t alone on the Trail.

  What do you tell the men?

  If you say it’s a deal, turn to page 118

  If you say you will go on your own, turn to page 120

  Return to page 23

  Pa looks at you all.

  “Are you sure?” he asks.

  “Yes,” Ma says, speaking for all of you. “We will go down the Columbia River.”

  You know it isn’t an easy thing for Ma to agree to, especially since even simple river crossings have always made her nervous. This is a bit more complicated and potentially more dangerous. But at least this time you will be traveling on a raft. And by taking this route, you can avoid the toll road and the dangers of the Barlow route.

  While Pa goes to tell Caleb and the rest of the wagon train about your decision, you check out your surroundings with Joseph and Eliza.

  “I wonder why this area is called The Dalles,” you say, expecting Joseph to give one of his usual detailed answers. But he just shrugs, and Eliza pipes up instead.

  “Pa told me the French named it because of the way the land is shaped like a big trough,” she says. “Dalles is the word for ‘trough’ in French.”

  You imagine explorers coming from as far as France to see what you’re looking at now. And here you are, finally on the last part of your journey to Oregon City. Amazing!

  When Pa returns, he tells you the plan.

  “Only a few of the families are going with us,” he explains. “The rest are taking the Barlow Toll Road.”

  You feel a pang of concern. What if you made the wrong decision?

  “But don’t worry,” Pa continues, as if he is reading your mind. “I’m going to build us a nice strong raft, and we will be fine.”

  Pa’s carpentry skills have been a huge asset on this trip, and once again they will be put to use.

  “I’ll have to cut down several of those tall trees to start,” he tells you. “And then I’ll shape them into planks and lash them together to make the raft.”

  The raft will have to be strong enough to carry your wagon, the animals, and your family down the river. It’s a big job, but you’re confident Pa can do it. But first, you will all make camp and get a good night’s rest.

  The next morning, Caleb approaches your family’s campfire at breakfast with some news.

  “Several men from the nearby Wasco Nation have offered to help us across the river,” he says.

  “Do they have a ferry?” Pa asks. “I haven’t heard of it.”

  “Not exactly a ferry,” Caleb continues. “But they take people across in large canoes.”

  “Why would we want to do that?” Pa asks. “I’m going to build the raft, which will be big enough for all of us.”

  “They have a lot of experience with the river, so it might be safer,” Caleb says. “But they won’t be able to take your whole family at once. You’d have to break up.

  Ma and Pa exchange looks. You know they don’t like the idea of splitting you up. But traveling on the canoes would mean less weight for the raft to carry. The Wasco people are friendly, Caleb says, but they would need some goods in exchange for their help.

  What do you decide?

  If you ask the Wasco Nation for help, turn to page 128

  If you decide to stick to your own raft, turn to page 105

  Return to page 153

  I don’t want you to go,” you tell Pa, knowing Ma feels the same.

  Pa nods, almost relieved. “I think that’s the right choice.” He smiles, looking proud. “If we separate, it could be much worse and—”

  A cold gust of wind interrupts Pa and pushes a flurry of snow into the wagon train. The temperature dramatically drops, and snow fills the air.

  “It’s snowing!” yells Hannah, bouncing up and down.

  “Bizarre to see snow this time of year,” says Caleb, turning to Pa. “I agree that if we get lost, it’ll be hard to find our way back to the camp. All this snow doesn’t help matters much either.”

  “Then let’s continue on,” says Pa. “We’ll stay near the camp and hunt.”

  “Maybe Joseph and I can trap some rabbits,” you suggest.

  “Good thinking,” Pa says.

  You shoulder your heavy pack and continue on through the fresh snow, the weight somehow feeling a little lighter knowing that Pa won’t be out there on his own, leaving you behind.

  Your group has wandered higher into the Blue Mountains, where the trees are sparser and it’s easier to navigate. The snow is loose and powdery beneath your feet. Suddenly, you hear something that sounds like thunder overhead. Thunderstorms aren’t unheard of in the middle of winter, but this sounds different, closer somehow. It’s as if the whole earth is shaking beneath your feet.

  “Avalanche!” shouts Caleb. “Try to find cover in the trees!”

  But the snow is barreling down too quickly on you and the other families, and the thick trees are too far down the mountain. Chaos overtakes everyone, and all you can see is that white powder crashing down toward you.

   THE END

  Return to page 28

  You all agree that the best choice is to go around the dunes, rather than try to pass through them. The wagon train slowly makes its way around the massive mounds of sand. You look up at them, impressed by how winds piled up these huge hills over time, to the point where they stand hundreds of feet high. And even more impressive is how they don’t just blow away.

  As you hike, Caleb tells everyone that there are hot springs coming up after a few days’ hike, and that perks up the mood a bit. You remember the fun everyone had back at the Soda Springs, where there were geysers and a spring that fizzed and bubbled like soda. That would be refreshing right now!

  As you leave the dunes, your wagon train passes several beautiful areas, including a lake and canyons. There’s good hunting, too, with plenty of antelope and birds. Caleb halts the wagons every now and then when someone spots a good hunting opportunity.

  You’re near a canyon, and during the next break, Ma says it’s okay to go exploring for a little while. Eliza has always loved to climb, and you scramble up the side of a big cliff with her, ready to see what’s at the top.

  “Hurry up!” Eliza says, ahead of you. You race after her, happy to feel the breeze on your face. It’s a clear, sunny day and one of the nicest you’ve had in a long time.

 
When you get to the top of the cliff, the view of the canyon is spectacular.

  “Oh, look!” Eliza says, and you turn, expecting her to point out something in the scenery. But instead it’s a little kitten, peeking its head out from behind a rock.

  “It’s so cute,” you say with a smile for the orange cat with huge green eyes.

  “Here, kitty,” Eliza beckons, holding her hand out to the tiny cat. But it just stays where it is, motionless.

  “Don’t be scared,” Eliza continues, taking a few steps closer. “I won’t hurt you.” She bends, making herself smaller and less threatening.

  But when she reaches the kitten and tries to pet it, the frightened cat swats her paw and scratches Eliza on the face. Eliza recoils, covering her cheek, and doesn’t watch where she is stepping. She slips and stumbles off the edge of the cliff!

  “Eliza!” you shout, imagining your friend plummeting to the ground, hundreds of feet below. You rush to the edge, terrified, and find Eliza clinging to a rock an arm’s length below you.

  “Hold on!” you say, your heart racing as you wonder what to do. Do you lean forward and reach out your hand for her to hold on to? Then you can use all your strength to pull her up. Or do you try to find a sturdy branch for her to grab? That might be easier, but it means she will have to wait, and you don’t know how long she will be able to hold on. What do you do?

  If you reach out your hand, turn to page 111

  If you look for a branch, turn to page 80

  Return to page 108

  You slowly turn your body away from the lynx, pivoting on your toes so you don’t make any sudden moves. Archie is still facing the wildcat, staring at it.

  “Okay, Archie, on the count of three, we are going to make a break for it,” you say in a whisper.

  “One. Two. Three. Let’s go, boy!” you shout as you start in a dead sprint toward camp. Archie follows right behind you. Your heart is beating fast, and you’re afraid to turn back to check if the lynx is coming after you.

  “Come on, Archie!” you scream as you hurdle over small branches that have fallen to the ground. You’re churning your legs faster than you ever have before. Suddenly you see Archie stumble in a small ditch.

  “Get up!” you shout as Archie twists his body to get back up. But the lynx is on top of him! You watch in horror as the wildcat bites into the side of Archie’s neck. His paws swat the lynx in the face, and Archie barks so loudly that it seems to startle the cat. After several more growls, the lynx spots a deer in the distance and takes off after it. You rush toward Archie to help him, and he is whimpering. You lift him into your arms and carry him back to camp. There, the vet bandages up Archie to prevent him from losing more blood.

  * * *

  A few weeks pass, and Archie’s wounds have healed, though he doesn’t seem quite like himself. You decide to play fetch—maybe that will cheer him up. As you are about to throw the stick, Archie bites down on your arm.

  You yell in agony. The vet from camp runs to your side.

  “Were you bit?” the vet asks.

  “It was just Archie,” you explain.

  The next day is one of the saddest of your life as you help Pa bury Archie, who, despite all your hopes, died suddenly in the night. You make a marker out of a big stone, and Hannah sprinkles wildflowers on top. You don’t want to leave without Archie, but you have to continue, and you leave his grave with a heavy heart and tears in your eyes.

  Over the next few days, you have nausea and don’t feel like eating anything. Everyone thinks you are just reacting to the death of Archie.

  Ma tries to give you some special foods, but you have trouble swallowing, and you start to feel confused. A few days later, you are foaming at the mouth. You die of rabies.

   THE END

  Return to page 76

  You pick up the doll and fling it in the direction of the bear. The bear pounces and starts to chew on it while you, Hannah, and Samuel run back to camp. You think you’ve escaped but then realize that the bear has followed you!

  “Run!” you yell to everyone in the camp. “Bear!”

  Everyone runs and hides behind a tree. But you watch in horror as the bear ravages your food supply. Ma and Pa had just packed up your food for the remaining oxen to carry. Now the bear feasts on the bacon and sugar and tears through the bags of flour. By the time he finally lumbers away, satisfied, everything is destroyed.

  “We’re ruined,” Ma cries, clutching you as if she doesn’t have the strength to stand on her own “What will we do now?”

  You just gulp, speechless. Now you have no wagon and hardly any food. The rest of the wagon train offers to share what they have, but no one has much extra to spare. They all have to think of their own survival.

  Over the next couple of days, your family is forced to kill another one of your oxen for food. When you think about it, you feel sad, but there’s no other choice. Even though you were tired of flapjacks, corn cakes, and bacon before, you desperately wish for them now.

  As the ox meat runs out, Ma rations meals even more strictly. When you camp, Pa lays traps for small animals, but it’s hard to catch anything. You continue to look for berries and fruits with the rest of the kids. But soon the gnawing feeling of hunger starts to become familiar and it’s harder to keep walking each day, especially climbing through the mountains.

  “I think we should camp for a while so I can try to hunt,” Pa says.

  “But if we keep going, we might find some food or a trading post up ahead,” Ma argues.

  “Maybe another train will come by with more food to share,” Pa says.

  “We can’t ask anyone for their food.” Ma shakes her head.

  “But they might have extra that they are willing to trade with us,” Pa replies, trying to sound hopeful.

  You listen to your parents debate what to do and try not to feel afraid. Finally, they turn to you.

  “What do you think we should do?” they ask.

  If you say you should camp, turn to page 26

  If you say you should keep going, turn to page 93

  Return to page 41

  I’ll take care of everything while you’re gone if you want to go, Pa,” you say, trying to sound brave.

  “Thank you,” Caleb says to you, with an approving nod. “I think this will be the best bet for everyone.”

  Caleb, Pa, and a couple of other men from the wagon train take off. As you watch them leave, you feel a little anxious but hopeful that everything will be okay.

  That night for supper, Ma fixes small servings of cornmeal hash and beans.

  “We need to make this last for as long as we can,” she says. You eat your portion and try to tell yourself that you are satisfied as you help do all of Pa’s chores.

  At night, you wake up to a terrible sound. The oxen are moaning and grunting in a desperate way. You remain in your tent, frozen with fear. Something is attacking them, and it could attack you and your family, too! You have to stay quiet and inside. There’s nothing you can do about it.

  In the morning, you see that the oxen have been badly injured by some kind of wild animal. They are not going to make it.

  Pa returns a few hours later and surveys the dying animals sadly.

  “There was no trading post for miles around here,” he says. “Maybe if I had been here, I could have saved the oxen.”

  Your family will continue to push on with what little you can carry on your backs. You take all the food you have, but soon you will run out of food completely.

   THE END

  Return to page 28

  You drop the dirt onto the glowing orange ember and watch it as it turns to black. Then you stomp on the ashes just to make sure the fire is completely out. You’ve heard of enough fires accidentally burning down camps that you don’t want to take any chances. Instead, you go to the wagon and grab one of the quilts that Ma has sewn on the journey. She’s made several and has used them to barter for goods along the way. Back in your tent, wrapped snugly
in the thick quilt, you’re finally able to fall into a deep sleep.

  Before you know it, the morning bugle sounds.

  “It’s already morning?” you mumble as you crawl out of bed, feeling envious that Samuel seems far more rested than you.

  You feel like you are dragging as everyone sets out to do the morning chores. Samuel milks Daisy as usual, while Hannah pulls out the dishes for breakfast and grinds coffee. You walk over to the woods to collect firewood, glad that it’s so easy to find fuel in this heavily forested area.

  Archie follows you, wagging his tail happily.

  “Now you’re with me, instead of last night, when I could have used your help,” you say, throwing a small twig, which Archie eagerly runs to fetch and bring back to you.

  Playing with Archie wakes you up, and you end up moving a bit farther from camp than you expected. But it feels good to race with Archie in the crisp early-morning air, and you’re starting to feel a bit more energized.

  “I guess I should start gathering some branches,” you finally say aloud. “I don’t want to keep breakfast waiting.”

  Just then, your dog freezes, and you hear a low growl emerge from him.

  “What is it, boy?” you ask as you glance around with concern. But you don’t see anything alarming nearby.

  Archie continues to stare at something and growl. You try to see what is bothering him and squint toward the trees. Yikes! Blending in with the branches of a tree is something that makes your heart skip a beat.