by Jesse Wiley
“Halt!” Pa yells, racing after your wagon. But the oxen don’t listen and keep running wild. Your wagon is shaking and things are falling out of the back and the animals start bumping into each other as they run. Suddenly your wagon flips over.
CRASH!
The oxen are tangled up in their yokes, and the wagon lies on its side.
A few minutes later, the hailstorm ends as quickly as it began. The sun comes out and the ice on the ground starts to melt away, along with your dreams of reaching Oregon. You feel a chill and wonder what you will do as Pa says your oxen team is seriously injured and too many wagons are destroyed to continue, all because of a hailstorm.
THE END
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Joseph starts walking away from you, and after you pause for a moment, you chase after him.
“Hold on. I’m coming with you,” you say. You both know it’s best to stick together.
Joseph doesn’t turn to look at you and keeps walking, staring straight ahead. After a long, uncomfortable silence, you finally speak.
“It’s almost dark. What do you think should we do?”
You look at Joseph and see his worried expression.
“I’m not sure,” he says, kicking some dirt around with his feet. “To be honest, I don’t know if we’re going in the right direction anymore.”
You look around, but it’s too dark to make out landmarks and you have no idea where to go.
“Let’s find a place to rest for now,” you say. You walk a little farther, and now Joseph lets you lead. A minute later, you hear a howling sound.
“What was that?” Joseph asks. But you don’t answer. You both know what it was: wolves. You just hope that they are far away from you.
“Let’s stop here and wait for morning,” you say, pointing to a cluster of rocks that form a shelter. You hope you’ll be protected from whatever is out there.
You lie on the ground and close your eyes, but your mind keeps racing. Where is Archie? Are you going to find your way? What are you going to eat?
“Look what I found.”
You rub your eyes and realize that it’s light now. You must have fallen asleep. Joseph is standing over you with a handful of red berries in his hand. He gives you half, and you each devour your share.
Within a few seconds of eating the berries, you feel an intense burning in your mouth and then your tongue starts to swell. You’re having a hard time breathing, and the last thing you see is Joseph’s face turning the color of the berries.
THE END
Return to page 67
Our family will continue to Devil’s Gate,” Pa says decisively to the group.
“We haven’t heard anything that convinces us it’s a good idea to go off the Trail,” adds Ma.
Some of the other pioneers are spooked enough to travel far around Devil’s Gate, but the rest of you will follow a path that passes close to it. You’re glad your parents feel so confident, because you’re still a little nervous.
“Pa, I feel scared,” Hannah confesses at bedtime. She clutches her doll as Pa tucks her blanket tightly around her.
“Everything will be fine,” Pa says, patting her gently. “You don’t need to worry.”
“But Devil’s Gate sounds like a terrible place,” Samuel adds. “I don’t want to go near it!”
Pa laughs a little.
“Devil’s Gate is just a big rock, like Independence Rock,” he says. “There’s nothing terrible about it.”
“Then why is everyone making such a big deal about it?” you ask.
“Sweetwater River cuts through the rock, making a gorge that looks unique, like a big gash, narrow at the bottom and wide at the top,” Pa explains.
“But what about the stories?” you ask, not wanting to say much in front of your little brother and sister about Devil’s Gate being haunted and dangerous.
“Those are just tall tales,” Pa says. “As usual, we just have to be careful and smart, and we’ll be fine.”
Hannah smiles and tucks her tiny hand into Pa’s big, rough palm.
“It’ll be okay if you say so, Pa,” she says.
“Yeah, I guess,” Sam chimes in. Pa chuckles.
You murmur your agreement and drift off to sleep.
Devil’s Gate isn’t that far from Independence Rock. Fleeing the stampede took you a little off-course, but soon you see the famous rock formation.
It sends a shiver down your spine as you imagine the evil monster from the legend ripping into the rock with its huge tusks. But then you have to admit, Devil’s Gate is the most interesting rock shape you’ve seen so far. Once you stop being scared, it just takes your breath away, and you’re glad when you camp early near the base to inspect it closer. As you expected, Eliza can’t wait to get near it, too.
After setting up camp, you, Pa, Eliza, Joseph, and Caleb hike closer to get a better look at the massive gorge.
“I have a surprise for you,” Caleb says, “if you’re willing to hike for a while longer.”
You all agree and end up walking for a few hours until Caleb suddenly kneels on the ground. He starts digging a hole while the rest of you look on, puzzled.
“Don’t just stand there. Give me a hand,” he says.
“Are we digging for buried treasure?” Pa jokes.
“Kind of,” Caleb says with a laugh.
You all start digging, using the hand tools Caleb brought in his bag. Soon there is a big hole a couple feet deep, and you hit something hard and cold, like a rock, but not quite.
“Is this . . . ice?” you ask, wondering how in the world it’s possible.
“It sure is!” Caleb says, explaining that you are standing on a frozen lake that is buried underground, and in a few days, you’ll come to an even bigger one called Ice Slough. You never knew anything like it was possible.
Everyone chips away at the frozen water and soon you have a cup full of the coldest, most refreshing ice you’ve ever tasted.
“When we get to Ice Slough, let’s make sweet ice cream for everyone!” Eliza suggests. Everyone laughs at the idea of an ice cream party in the middle of the wilderness, and suddenly you’re glad you didn’t trade Daisy for mules.
You weren’t sure you believed in miracles before, but you sure do now. It’s too bad that the families who avoided Devil’s Gate aren’t with you to enjoy this special afternoon. But in a day or two, you’ll meet up with them again and continue on the Trail.
As you suck on a piece of ice, you think about how far you’ve come since Chimney Rock, and about all the adventures and struggles your family has had. You survived them all with patience, persistence, common sense, and luck. As a pioneer, you escaped a stampede, conquered quicksand, and survived a tornado, just to name a few of the things you experienced, and you aren’t afraid of scary stories anymore. You’re also ready for the rest of your trip to Oregon. Who knows what other adventures and surprises are ahead on your incredible journey West!
THE END
Return to page 122
Guide
to the Trail
Westward Ho!
Congratulations on making it from Independence, Missouri, to Chimney Rock, in what is now Nebraska, on the Oregon Trail!
As you’ve already learned in your travels across the prairie, surviving the journey of a lifetime requires you to be careful and aware of your surroundings, and to make good decisions.
There’s no substitute for being well prepared, so make sure to get all the information you need about what you will be facing ahead of time. This guide includes important facts about how to stay safe on the next leg of your trip across the rocky foothills leading to Devil’s Gate, in today’s Wyoming. Read up and then get rolling on the Trail!
Dangers!
DISEASE
Cholera and dysentery come from contaminated food and water. Pioneers didn’t know to boil water before drinking it. Drink coffee and your water will be boiled anyway.
FIRE
Stamp out cam
pfires completely after use. If you encounter difficulty lighting a fire, do not use gunpowder as it is highly explosive. If foliage or fields catch on fire, rivers and rocks can be natural barriers to the spread of flames.
WILDLIFE
Watch out for coyotes, bears, and wolves. Coyotes are scavengers and dangerous to animals, but bears and wolves may attack both animals and people.
STAMPEDE
A buffalo stampede can be terrifying, and can’t be outrun. Fire can steer the animals in another direction, but only light a fire in an extreme emergency as it can get out of control.
WEATHER
Take shelter from falling ice during hailstorms. In thunderstorms, nowhere on the Trail is safe from lightning, but the worst place to be is under a tree. If skies darken and winds suddenly pick up, a tornado can occur. Lie flat in a ditch and cover your head. Take cover from flying objects.
DISHONEST PEOPLE
Sometimes people take advantage of others on the Trail. Fort Laramie is known for dishonest traders. Trust your instincts.
POISONING
Never eat wild berries unless you know exactly what kind they are, as they can be poisonous. Identify alkaline water by looking for yellow-reddish grasses growing nearby. In case of accidental ingestion, a mixture of vinegar and flour can help stop the poisoning.
QUICKSAND
Check for quicksand before crossing a river by first sending strong swimmers to test the riverbed with sticks. Do not permit animals to stop to drink in the river during a crossing as the pause in travel could cause the wagon wheels to sink in the sand!
The legend of
DEVIL’S GATE
This mysterious chasm in the Rattlesnake Mountains has many legends around it. Some pioneers have died falling from the granite cliffs, leading superstitious travelers to believe Devil’s Gate is haunted. They shiver and stay far away, avoiding the gap.
The legend says the break was formed by a powerful evil spirit. Warriors were fighting the beast, which used its giant tusks to rip open a gap in the mountain. The creature disappeared into the cliffs, and perhaps that is where it remains.
But these are just tall tales. Devil’s Gate was created by the flow of the Sweetwater River, and it’s not only safe to visit, it’s one of the most impressive landmarks on the Oregon Trail. Don’t miss it!
Finding Your Way
The Trail is 2,000 miles long (3,200 km) and there aren’t roads or many signs, and the maps are not very precise. There aren’t even states yet. The area between Missouri and Oregon is called “Unorganized Territory.”
You are just one of 400,000 adventurous pioneers trekking West between 1841 and 1860. You have to navigate by compass and by landmarks mentioned in guidebooks, or by tips from other pioneers.
Remember, never leave the Trail or your group, and don’t take shortcuts if you want to reach Oregon!
Look for these landmarks between Chimney Rock and Devil’s Gate
DISTANCE FROM INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI:
SCOTTS BLUFF: 596 miles (959 km)
FORT LARAMIE: 650 miles (1,046 km)
INDEPENDENCE ROCK: 815 miles (1,312 km)
DEVIL’S GATE: 820 miles (1,320 km)
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 i
s 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.
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