by Jesse Wiley
Your six oxen need too much water to survive, and now your family doesn’t have enough. No one else in the wagon train can spare any, and by the time you reach the mountains, it’ll be too late. Your journey on the California Trail ends here.
THE END
Return to page 115
You go around the toll bridge to save money. You’ll have many river crossings and stops at forts to restock on food and ammunition—you’ll need all the money you have. You plan to cross the Red Vermillion River farther up north, where it turns into a smaller creek.
The majority of your wagon train doesn’t want to waste time taking that long route. They pay the toll and continue on ahead without you. Your smaller wagon train continues north alongside the river.
Bad luck strikes when you run into storms every day over the next week. The humidity won’t break. Sweat runs down your arms and legs. All of your animals are panting loudly.
When you finally ford the Red Vermillion River at a narrower point, your wagon train is irritable and wishing they’d just paid the toll. One afternoon, a hailstorm overwhelms your wagon. Your small wagon train drags along in the sweltering heat. There’s no way you’ll catch up with the families who paid the toll.
One afternoon, you and the McAllister children lie in the grasses of the plains, panting and exhausted.
“Will this end?” Fiona McAllister’s freckled face is bright red, even underneath her bonnet.
“We’re in a drought.” Her brother Harry’s face is shaded by book he holds up to block the sun.
You pull yourself up. “C’mon, let’s go swimming.”
“In the river?” Fiona’s brow furrows. “The current looks a wee bit strong.”
“We’ve got to cool down or we’ll be in trouble.” You reach out your hand and help Fiona stand up.
You lend a hand to Harry. “One minute. Just one more paragraph . . .”
The three of you walk along the riverbanks and find a quiet pond nearby. Ducks are sitting along the banks. You’re so excited to go swimming.
You dive right in, instantly cooled by the water. Fiona dips her legs in. Harry doesn’t go near it. You shrug and duck your head under.
By suppertime, you’re feeling very odd. You’re hungrier than ever, but also nauseous at the same time. Maybe food will help calm your stomach. Should you eat now, or wait?
To eat, turn to page 38
To wait to eat, turn to page 81
Return to page 67
You’ll make it up to your wagon train any way you can. You won’t have enough money to pay for all the damage you’ve caused, but you can try to barter and work off the rest.
Papa faces the crowd of angry scowls. “I’ll help you fix whatever damage was done to your wagons.”
“With what wood?” Fergus McAllister flicks his red mustache. “There’s no tree in sight for miles, Keller. Ye can only do so much. Me wagon’s got a damaged axle and two broken wheels, and I don’t think that even ye can fix it all if I don’t have the wood.”
Mr. Southworth steps up. “I’ll help too. It was an accident, and accidents happen.”
“Accident!” Stella Beauregard raises her hands. “We could’ve lost half the wagon train to that stampede! Someone could’ve been killed!” She clutches her son George to her side. George sticks his tongue out at you. You pretend he is invisible.
“She’s right.” John Beauregard plants himself in the middle of the crowd. “Accident or not, it was foolish and cost a lot of people. It’s going to take more than your offering to help fix this, Keller. A lot more.”
Some members grumble that you and your family should just leave.
Mama shakes her head. “Well, we can try to give you all some of what we have. But we don’t have much, and we need every penny if we’re going to get out West.”
“You think it’s any different for us?” John tilts his head. “It’s going to take more than an apology and a few repairs to set this right.”
You and your parents gather what little money you have in a small sack and place it on the ground in the center of the wagon corral.
“This won’t be enough, we know.” Papa’s shoulders slump. “But it’s all we have.”
You’ve given everything you have to the rest of the wagon train. You don’t have the supplies to continue on the trek West.
THE END
Return to page 21
It’s the hardest decision you’ve made thus far on your journey, but going to California is the right thing to do. Your mother hasn’t seen her brother in years, and even without gold, California is filled with opportunities. Despite your family’s concern over the drought and the long trek through the desert, you’re prepared. It won’t be easy, but you’ll have the rest of your wagon train with you.
You choke back tears and hug Mr. Southworth goodbye. You’ve traveled so far together; you can’t imagine going the rest of the way without him. But you’ve got to keep moving.
“We’ll come to visit you once we get things all settled.” Mr. Southworth squeezes your hand.
“Once you buy your freedom?”
He nods. “Exactly. I’ll strike it rich either in the gold fields or with this little darling.” He pats his fiddle case. “She’s brought me luck so far.”
“I hope so—and please say ‘hi’ to your mother. You’ll keep in touch, right?”
“Promise.” He winks.
You smile.
“We’re going to miss you terribly.” Mama puts her arm on Mr. Southworth.
“Likewise, Kutomá.” Mr. Southworth smiles. “But we’ll see you again. I know it.”
At around ten o’clock, your smaller wagon train sets off on the California Trail. Mr. Southworth’s wagon disappears over the hills.
Your trek takes you southwest by the majestic American Falls: enormous gushing waterfalls. You stop to stare in wonder. The falling water is rhythmic and soothing.
You travel through a thick stretch of sage into rockier territory and arrive at Goose Creek Valley. Mama collects some sagebrush to use in recipes and herbal medicines.
“It’s especially good for your stomach.” She pats her belly. “If you feel sick, or bloated, this will help.”
Then you enter the famous Thousand Springs Valley, an oasis in the Great Basin filled with natural springs both hot and cold, and find temporary refuge at Humboldt Wells, an area of marshy springs and small ponds of water.
You stay there for two days to fully stock up on water. Getting further into the Great Basin Desert will not be an easy feat. A summer storm passes through that night, soaking the springs and flooding the wells with fresh water. You and Benji run around in the rain with Fiona and Harry, knowing that it won’t be like this in the desert. You feel refreshed.
The storm reinvigorates your weary wagon train to push forward at a steady pace. As you make your way along the California Trail, the grass grows shorter and browner, disappearing into dry dirt and sand. The rolling green hills turn to rocky beige crags. Your only safety net is the Humboldt River, which you’re following all throughout the Great Basin Desert.
The sun beats down hotter every day. Dry winds sweep up and begin to dry out your lips, causing them to crack.
Roughly ten miles from another set of hot springs, you come to a gaping canyon. The river runs directly through it.
“Carlin Canyon.” John stretches out his arm. “There are several river crossings through this route.”
Four river crossings would’ve been easy several days ago, but now the water is rushing through the canyon due to the recent storm. It’s just your luck that you’ve been traveling this whole time in a drought, and now, in the middle of the desert, the river may be too high to cross.
“There might be another way, Cap’n.” Fergus McAllister approaches his wagon and points west. “A Bannock woman at Fort Hall told me that we could take an alternate route over those hills. It’ll be about ten miles before we rejoin the Trail.”
John dips his hand i
nto the river and shakes his head. “I don’t know ’bout that. Seems to me that we’re going a bit far out of our way.” He surveys the river. “It’s not terribly deep. We’d have to caulk the wagons, but it could be done.”
You’re not so sure. Then again, going over hill country, away from the river, doesn’t seem like a great idea either. What should you do?
To ford the river, turn to page 47
To take the Greenhorn Cutoff, turn to page 54
Return to page 32
You should wait for the medicine to really settle in your stomach and avoid taking more. You put the medicine back in her bag and wait. You drink as much water as you can that night, and in the morning, you go down to the nearby Sweetwater River to collect more to boil over the fire. You’re feeling a little better.
Mama notices you don’t eat breakfast and brews you a cup of special tea she’s brought from home—an herbal mix with ginger and lemon seed meant for indigestion. You drink it, but edge farther and farther away from the bacon in the skillet. The smell of food still makes you nauseous.
You walk over to Mr. Southworth and help milk his cow, Dilly. You then groom your horse, Spot, before the day’s travel begins. You know you won’t be eating any bad buffalo again.
* * *
Two days before you reach South Pass, you stop to make camp in a place called Rock Creek. Word spreads that gold was recently discovered in this area. Eager to try his own hand at mining, Mr. Southworth goes off with a pickax and panning tins to see what he can find. You follow him.
“Well, a small nugget, at least.” Mr. Southworth smiles and wipes his brow on his sleeve. “A bit more trouble than it’s worth, don’t you think?”
You nod and plop down on the ground. Your sweaty legs stick to the grass. “I’ll say.”
Mr. Southworth picks up the nugget, sets his tools aside, and retrieves his fiddle from his wagon. A merry tune trills out into the sunset hours, reviving weary spirits and cheering up those who haven’t struck gold yet. By the time you and Mr. Southworth return to the wagon corral, his hat is overflowing with coins.
“I think you struck gold another way.” You grin. He laughs. “I think I did.”
As you continue on through gentle winding hills, thunder rumbles overhead. The sky opens up into a downpour, and the wagons go even slower. Your six oxen struggle against their yoke as lightning strikes down only yards away. Benji clutches Mama’s arms as she controls the reins.
The next moment, you hear a CRACK and an angry groan. Your wagon grinds to a halt.
As the rain dies down, the wagon train stops. Folks huddle around your wagon. Mr. Southworth rushes over to help Papa inspect the wheels. They both shake their heads. It’s not good.
“Broken wheel rim and axle, and dented iron tire.” Mr. Southworth rubs his head. “Must’ve gone over a bad rock and banged it up pretty bad.”
John Beauregard stomps over. “We need to press on if we want to make it through South Pass before day’s end. Can you fix it?”
“Not that quickly.” Pa sighs.
After debating with your family and other members of the wagon train, the rest of the wagon train elects to go on—without you. You’ll have to fix your wagon and catch up to them. Even the McAllisters are moving on. Only Mr. Southworth offers to stay behind with you.
“Listen, Ben.” He kneels down to tie his shoe. “I can help you fix this. This’ll need more than a carpenter’s hand, and I think you know it.”
Papa wipes his brow. “You may be right, but I can’t ask you to stay behind with us.”
“I’m offering.” He stands up and brushes off his pants. “That axle’s going to need some tending to. Got the tools with me. We’ll catch up with them in a few days, for sure. Besides, I can’t leave you and your family out here alone. I know you’d say the same if I were in your position.”
Papa nods with a heavy sigh as he turns to you. “What do you think we should do?”
You’re not sure what to say. You know Mr. Southworth is right: Papa’s going to have a hard time fixing the axle on his own. But you also don’t want to separate Mr. Southworth from the rest of the wagon train. What should you do?
To accept Mr. Southworth’s offer to stay, turn to page 88
To decline Mr. Southworth’s offer to stay, turn to page 26
Return to page 75
You hurry to find your parents and secretly show them the small nugget you found embedded in the rocks near the ranch.
“Shiny!” Benji reaches for it. You quickly shush him, glancing around your wagon corral in the hopes that no one nearby heard him.
“We shouldn’t keep this.” Mama frowns. “You found this on the land of Rancho Johnson. This belongs to them, no matter how much we would like it.”
You’re disappointed, but you know she’s right. The gold nugget is theirs, even if you did find it.
“But what if there’s more nearby?” Papa puts his hand on Mama’s shoulder. “Should we stay or keep going to Sacramento?”
You know the answer from the look on your mother’s face. “We should keep going to Sacramento, Papa. We’re almost there, and we might not find another nugget like this here, anyway.”
Your family agrees that you’ll keep moving on to your final destination of Sacramento. You’re excited to see your three cousins you haven’t seen in years.
You ask Harry and Fiona not to tell anyone about the gold nugget you found. You’re afraid that the ranch might be robbed if word got out. They swear to keep the secret. You return the gold nugget to Mr. Johnson. He thanks you for your honesty and discretion.
“There’s been talk of bandits hunting down pioneers who might be carrying gold.” His mustache twitches. “I’m glad you haven’t told anyone about this. I’ve heard some pioneers along the Carson Trail got robbed only a few days ago.”
Now you’re even more glad that you took the Beckwourth Trail. Though you hope it wasn’t the other half of your wagon train that got robbed.
After resting overnight at the ranch, you and the others continue south to Sacramento. But the following night, you hear the sound of hoofbeats nearby, followed by quiet murmurs and a low laugh echoing across the landscape. You scramble out of your tent and strain to look out into the darkness. You hear several voices in the woods nearby, which grow fainter by the second. But you still hear bits of their conversation. It’s the infamous River Rush Gang, who’ve been robbing pioneers all along the Oregon and California Trails. They’re planning on attacking and robbing Rancho Johnson!
You sneak out to alert the night guard on duty.
The guard sounds the bugle. Startled, people bolt up out of their tents, bleary-eyed, including your parents. When you tell everyone what you heard, the wagon train isn’t sure what to do.
“What can we do about it?” Fergus pounds his fist in his hand. “Go after them?”
You hurry over to your horse, Spot. “I can!” You’re still in your pajamas, but you manage to get your boots on. “I’ll beat them there and warn them.”
“No.” Mama’s face screws up. “It’s too dangerous. If those bandits catch you—”
“I’ll be fine, Mama, I promise. You know I’m a faster rider alone than with you or Papa.”
“I’ll go.” Papa looks at Mama. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“No, I’m smaller and faster. Let me do this. We’ve come this far, and I haven’t let you down once. I’m ready for this.” You turn Spot around sharply. “You know I’m right, Papa. We don’t have time to debate. I’ll be right back. But everyone at the ranch will be in trouble if we don’t.”
You make a stop by the night guard, ask for his bugle, and then dig your heels into the horse’s sides, taking off into the woods. You stay off the beaten path and steer clear of the River Rush Gang; you see their torches in the distance. You get ahead of them and reach Rancho Johnson minutes before they do, sounding the bugle. William Johnson rushes out of the adobe house. It doesn’t take long to explain the dire situ
ation to him, and he readies his own defenses and assures you he’ll be prepared.
In the end, Johnson and his staff ambush the bandits and tie them up to take them to the nearest sheriff in the morning. After Johnson thanks you profusely, you return to your wagon train. Your parents are so relieved that they let you sleep for the next whole day inside the covered wagon. By the time you wake up, you’ve reached Sacramento!
Sacramento is warm, dry, and greener than you expected. Papa builds a new house on a plot of land with trees, with the Sacramento River nearby, and a bustling town that’s perfect for Papa’s carpentry business. Your uncle lives close by to your new house, running a general store with your aunt and three cousins around your age. It’s been great to get to know them better, and you know that Fiona and Harry, who also live nearby, will get along with your cousins famously.
Papa works both as a carpenter and tries his hand at gold mining at several camps. Although you help him find several tiny nuggets, you and your family realize that the Gold Rush has been somewhat overhyped. Still, you don’t regret making the move out West; in fact, the opposite. You’re looking forward to not having to trudge through snow in the winter!
