The Road to Oregon City Read online

  “I think you’re right, Sam,” you say, grabbing your brother and tickling him. “Let’s see if you can climb to the top of one.”

  “You first!” Sam says, wiggling out of your reach and running away.

  Archie seems amazed by the landscape too and runs ahead of you, sniffing at the ground and chasing birds. Even though it’s only September, high up in the mountains, in the shade of the trees, the air has a chill to it. You look forward to making camp and sitting by the fire.

  Ma fixes a nice supper, and you’re glad to taste her cooking again. Even though no one complained when you were making supper, you know everyone else is happy too. When you are all done eating and talking about the day, someone pulls out a fiddle and starts singing. This kind of night is your favorite, as Samuel and Hannah start to dance and everyone claps. Finally, Ma puts out the fire, and you head to bed. But as you lie on your feather mat, you can’t fall asleep. You’re thinking about all that has happened over the past week. Plus, you just can’t get warm.

  Archie is curled up in a ball next to Samuel, and you wish he were lying next to you instead. But then your brother would be cold. You pass Hannah, holding her doll tight and shivering underneath her blanket, as you head out of the tent to look for an extra blanket in the wagon.

  Passing by the campsite, you notice an ember glowing faintly in the fire pit. You start to pick up a handful of dirt to smother it out, then pause. You wonder if you should add a few sticks to get a flame going and sit by it a bit longer to warm yourself up. Or should you just put it out and try to find another blanket and go back to bed?

  If you smother the fire, turn to page 76

  If you build a small fire to warm yourself, turn to page 39

  Return to page 112

  I sure hope these ropes hold,” Pa says.

  You tighten the last rope from the tree to the side of the wagon. Pa carefully pushes the wagon to the edge. As the wagon makes its way down the steep incline, you hear the tree make a cracking sound. The weight of the wagon is making the tree bend forward.

  Pa is looking down the side to make sure that the wagon stays straight and doesn’t bang into the side of the mountain. You call out to him, but he doesn’t respond. After several more attempts, he finally turns around and sees the tree. Almost immediately the tree snaps in half and goes whizzing by your face down the side of the mountain.

  CRASH! You hear the loudest sound of your life. You walk over to the edge to look and see your wagon, smashed to bits and pieces. Your chances of making it Oregon have been crushed with it.

   THE END

  Return to page 48

  You accept the Wasco people’s offer to be canoed down the Columbia River. One of the men introduces himself as Tsuk as he shakes hands with Pa. They decide that Pa will take the wagon and the animals on the raft, while the rest of you will have Tsuk take you to the other side.

  “It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Pa says. “Even though I know my raft would do the trick,” he adds with a wink.

  Ma and Samuel make it across the river first and are waiting for you and Hannah on the other side when you step into the canoe, accepting the hand Tsuk holds out for you. The ride is smooth and swift, and as you approach the banks of the river, Pa is already moving the wagon off the raft and speaking to Caleb about how to get across the Cascade Rapids, up ahead. You thank Tsuk for the canoe ride, then huddle up by Caleb, who gathers everyone together and tells you the plan.

  “I will take all the animals around the south side of the mountain and meet you on the other side of the rapids. It’s too dangerous for us to put everything on the raft and try to get across,” Caleb says.

  Everyone agrees. The wagons are lined up, and Caleb ties the final ropes to attach the animals together. Joseph and Eliza run over to you as some of the families make their way onto the rafts.

  “Why don’t you come with us?” Joseph says. “We could use another hand.”

  Do you ask Ma and Pa to go with them, or do you stick with your family?

  If you ask to go with Joseph’s family, turn to page 88

  If you say you want to stay with your family, turn to page 107

  Return to page 56

  You decide that while both options are risky, weighing the wagons down with heavy logs still sounds like a better option. The ropes might not be able to hold the weight of the heavy wagons and snap, which would be disastrous. Your family votes to cut down logs rather than attempt lowering the wagons.

  “I agree,” says Caleb. “I think the incline is too steep to try something like that here. That, and I don’t know if we’d all have the strength to lower even one wagon. If one of us gives out, we’re sunk. Let’s stop for a while to catch our breath, then cut down a couple of these enormous trees to drag behind the wagons.”

  You’re glad for the chance to rest, however short it may be. You, Joseph, and Eliza make a game out of picking out the tallest trees in sight and imagining how long it would take you to climb up to the top branches.

  Pa, Caleb, and the others cut down several hefty trees and tie the logs up to the backs of the wagons. Still, it’s going to be a treacherous descent, and the oxen are already tugging at their ropes.

  Slowly but surely, the wagons descend the steep incline of Laurel Hill. The trek down is rocky, slipperier than you imagined, covered with moss and wet leaves, and more than a little frightening. But the trees dragging behind the wagons help to keep everything from careening down the hill. The oxen resist the steep incline initially, but eventually you and Pa help calm them down enough to carefully lead them down to the bottom.

  Although your legs are hurting and tired from balancing your own trek down the slope, you can see the valley stretching out ahead. The landscape beyond is unlike anything you’ve ever seen—covered with lush grass meadows, mossy nooks, and thick pine trees rising into the distance. You think you see something misty obscuring the trees—maybe smoke from a nearby campfire, but you’re moving too quickly, and you dismiss it as just a wisp of cloud.

  “We did it!” you cheer as Archie barks in excitement. You, Joseph, and Eliza exchange relieved grins.

  Caleb finally gives the order to camp for the night, and despite exhaustion, everyone’s spirits are high. You and Joseph trap a few rabbits hiding among the trees. You bring them back to Ma, and she cooks up a hearty rabbit stew, along with the usual beans and pan bread. You’re bone-weary but relieved that the worst of the mountain journey seems to be behind you. Oregon City is so close, you can almost see it through the thick trees.

  But as you drift off to sleep, Archie’s barking wakes you up. You groan and try to roll over, but then you feel teeth digging into your clothes. Archie tries to pull you off your bedroll and drag you outside the tent.

  “Get off, Archie!” you grumble, wiggling away. “What’s the matter with you?”

  Archie bolts outside the tent, still barking wildly. When he pulls at your clothes again, you finally peer outside. Even with your bleary-eyed vision, you don’t see anything out of the ordinary.

  “Be quiet, Archie!” you order. “There’s nothing out there!”

  But he continues to bark.

  With a groan, you eventually clamber out of your tent. Archie wouldn’t just be barking like this for nothing. Maybe, just to be safe, you should ask someone on watch. You find the guard near one of the wagons, adding another log to the dying fire.

  “I haven’t seen anything,” he says with a shrug. “Maybe your dog just smelled a skunk nearby.”

  “Maybe,” you say doubtfully. Archie’s ears are pricked, and his nose twitches. There could be a more dangerous animal around, but with someone on guard duty, you feel more at ease.

  But Archie tugs on your clothes again and keeps barking. It looks like he’s trying to lead you somewhere. But where? You hesitate. Should you see where he’s trying to lead you?

  If you follow Archie to see where he takes you, turn to page 163

  If you ignore him and try to sleep
, turn to page 97

  Return to page 48

  You try your best to make your way over to the darker spot under the ice. Your clothes are feeling heavy and are weighing you down. The water is freezing, and with every stroke that you make to get closer to the darker spot, it feels like you have used all your energy. A little bubble of air escapes your mouth, and you know that you’re running out of time.

  The sound of voices is coming through the ice, and you can’t really tell what is being said, but you know it must be Joseph and Samuel. Finally, you reach the spot of ice you were swimming toward. You try to push up against the ice and punch a hole in it. Another little bubble of air escapes your mouth. For a second, everything seems dark, and then you try pushing up on the ice again. But nothing is working!

  Joseph’s voice is getting louder, and you can make out what he is saying.

  “Tap on the ice so I know where you are!” Joseph shouts.

  With all your strength, you try to push up on the ice, but it just won’t budge. You keep punching and pounding on the ice, but it remains solid as steel.

  “Help!” you scream under the water, and all the air escapes your mouth.

  Your arms are getting tired and you keep trying to kick with your legs, but you are sinking farther down, away from the ice. You reach out your arms, but you have sunk too far down.

   THE END

  Return to page 35

  I think it makes more sense to stick with the Trail,” you say after thinking it over. “The dunes sound a little scary to me.”

  “What do you think?” Pa asks Ma and Hannah. “Can you handle more river crossings?”

  “We’ll have to,” Ma says, while Hannah nods her head bravely. “It’s more feasible than the dunes.” She sighs. “It’ll be good practice for the Columbia River, ahead.”

  “It’s settled, then,” Pa says. “I’ll tell Caleb what we have decided.”

  The rest of the wagon train agrees with you, except for a couple of folks, and they don’t take much convincing. At this point, no one in the group wants to split up unless there is absolutely no other choice. There’s safety in numbers, and as things get harder along the Trail, you have to work together as a team to survive.

  The first time you cross Snake River again, you help Caleb and Pa tie the wagons together in order to float them across the river. The current is strong, and you worry you’ll lose oxen in the water, but everyone makes it without a hitch.

  After trekking aggressively for a day and a half, you reach the next Snake River crossing. Everyone decides to rest for a few hours before facing the river again.

  * * *

  It’s time to rally!” says Pa as he grabs a tool to fasten the wagon wheels.

  The cold water shocks the oxen, and they buck when they enter the water.

  Caleb’s face screws up with concern. “They’re going to break an axle!” he shouts.

  An ox breaks out of the yoke and floats adrift down the river. No one is able to swim fast enough to catch it. The axle is broken too.

  You finally get everyone across the river, and you’re thankful you didn’t lose more than one ox as Pa replaces the broken axle.

  * * *

  You fall back into the routine of hiking for the next few days, heading north toward the Boise River, a tributary of the Snake River. The dusty trail is filled with sage bushes and not much else. Along the way, you spot more tombstones and simple grave markers of unlucky pioneers who have traveled before you but not made it. Some are proper gravestones etched with people’s names, while others are just piles of rocks.

  The graves that look like they have been there for a while have weeds growing around them. Others are fresher, more recently dug. You notice one covered with a thick layer of rocks to keep coyotes and other animals from digging up whoever lies there. It makes you shudder.

  “‘Here lies Bill. He didn’t make it up the hill,’” Joseph says after seeing your expression, pretending to read from the gravestone of a man named William Smith.

  “Is that really what it says?” Samuel asks, since he is still learning how to read.

  “Yes,” Joseph says, winking at you. You smile back. Your friend can always make jokes to lighten the mood.

  After you’ve been hiking for several miles along the dusty trail, the mountains to your right and the rock bank to your left start to recede. A green valley suddenly comes into view.

  “This is Bonneville Point,” Caleb says with a flourish of his hand. “And that is the Boise River Valley.”

  Everyone is thrilled to see green grass for the first time in so long.

  “Look at the trees,” Ma says, pointing toward them with a smile. “This is nice.”

  The next day, as you enter into the valley, Caleb halts the wagons early for your midday break and gives you some extra time to rest.

  “Can we go play for a little while?” you ask Ma as she prepares a snack for the family with leftovers from breakfast.

  “Yes,” she agrees. “But don’t go too far, and don’t delay coming back.”

  “Let’s race over there!” Eliza points toward a few trees in the distance, and suddenly your tired legs are reenergized. You dash off toward the trees, with Joseph close behind you.

  “I’m going to beat you all to the top,” Eliza challenges, starting to climb a tree. You are always impressed with Eliza’s ability to run, jump, and climb. Before you know it, she is halfway up the tree, and you start to climb after her.

  As you reach into the branches to get higher, you hear a buzzing sound. Alarmed, you look around, but it’s just some honeybees. Then you notice a beehive hanging from a branch above you, and your heart starts to beat faster.

  “B-b-bees,” you tell your friends in a hushed voice.

  “Get down,” Eliza says, quickly making her way down the tree. “You don’t want to get stung.”

  “Wait! Let’s smoke out the bees first and get the honey,” Joseph says.

  “What do you mean?” you ask, shrinking away from the hive.

  “We’ll get the bees to leave their nest, and cut out some of the honeycomb to eat,” Joseph explains, getting excited.

  “But isn’t that dangerous?” you ask, eyeing the bees suspiciously.

  “No,” Joseph says. “I know what I’m doing, and I’ll do it. And besides, can’t you already taste the honey?”

  You imagine delicious, sweet honey, dripping off the honeycomb. You haven’t tasted anything new for weeks now, and it is tempting to think of spreading the honey on your leftover cornbread from this morning. But you’re a little nervous about getting stung by a bee, which has never happened to you before. Plus, Ma told you not to be gone for too long.

  What do you say to Joseph?

  If you agree to collect the honey, turn to page 46

  If you tell Joseph you want to go back, turn to page 83

  Return to page 13

  You think about everything until your head starts to hurt, and you still don’t know what to do. Then you look over at Ma and your siblings. It looks like they are broken, and you feel the same on the inside. You can’t imagine them pushing on any farther on the Trail, at least not right now. Ma is still so weak, and now with Pa gone, you worry if she will continue to get better, or . . . you can’t even think about it.

  Samuel helps you dig a grave for Pa. He puts on his bravest face and cries as he works the ground. You think about how the shovel you are using was meant for the new farm your family was supposed to have in Oregon, and your tears fall onto the dirt. But you dig the deepest grave you can so no animals can get to Pa’s body. And then you cover the dirt mound with as many rocks as you can find. Finally, you scratch Pa’s initials and the date onto a big flat rock and use it as a tombstone.

  Ma watches you and Samuel work and holds tight to Hannah. When you tell her your decision to go back to Fort Boise, she just nods absently, staring at Pa’s grave. You follow her eyes and wonder if you are thinking the same thing. Will I ever come back here to vi
sit Pa again?

  As you leave the campsite, heaviness settles over your heart, and your throat tightens up. You scatter a handful of wildflowers over Pa’s grave and then don’t turn around again. You’re not sure how you manage, but soon you lead your family back to the fort. There you find a kind fur trader who says you are welcome to make camp and stay for as long as you need. Over the next month, he gives you small jobs, helping outfit pioneers who pass through for the mountains. You resole shoes, sell Ma’s quilts and pies, and help find guides for those who need them.

  As time goes by and you hear the stories and dreams of other families, you realize that you don’t want to go back to Kentucky. The Trail is a part of your life now, and it’s the dream Pa wanted for you. Even if it wasn’t meant to happen now, you’ll try again to get to Oregon City next year.

   THE END

  Return to page 23

  That sounds sweet,” Pa says with a grin as you tell Ma she should get the goodies for the family.

  Ma comes back with jars of sweet molasses and a sack of sugar. Your family leaves the fort in a good mood and continues up the side of the mountains. Like everyone else, you start off feeling refreshed, but after a few days, you have trouble keeping up. It seems with every step you take, you feel more and more of the beneath you, and it hurts.