The Oregon Trail: Oregon City or Bust! (Two Books in One): The Search for Snake River and The Road to Oregon City

Contents

Title Page

Contents

Copyright

The Search for Snake River

Map of the Oregon Trail

Go West, Explore the Frontier

South Pass: July 13, 1850

Page 11

Page 18

Page 21

Page 25

Page 27

Page 30

Page 32

Page 35

Page 37

Page 39

Page 43

Page 46

Page 48

Page 51

Page 53

Page 56

Page 58

Page 61

Page 63

Page 67

Page 70

Page 74

Page 77

Page 80

Page 82

Page 85

Page 90

Page 92

Page 95

Page 98

Page 100

Page 104

Page 106

Page 108

Page 113

Page 114

Page 117

Page 122

Page 126

Page 130

Page 133

Page 135

Page 139

Page 143

Page 147

Three Island Pass: August 24, 1850

Guide to the Trail

Dangers!

Finding Your Way

Map of the Journey from Devil’s Gate to Three Island Crossing

The Road to Oregon City

Go West, Complete the Journey

Three Island Crossing: August 31, 1850

Page 169

Page 177

Page 179

Page 182

Page 184

Page 186

Page 189

Page 191

Page 195

Page 197

Page 202

Page 204

Page 209

Page 212

Page 216

Page 219

Page 224

Page 227

Page 230

Page 232

Page 236

Page 239

Page 244

Page 247

Page 249

Page 251

Page 253

Page 256

Page 261

Page 263

Page 264

Page 267

Page 268

Page 274

Page 276

Page 278

Page 283

Page 284

Page 287

Page 292

Page 294

Page 301

Page 304

Page 307

Page 309

Page 314

Page 319

Oregon City: October 6, 1850

Guide to the Trail

Dangers!

Map of the Journey from Three Island Crossing to Oregon City

Finding Your Way

Map of the Oregon Trail

Sample Chapter from THE WAGON TRAIN TREK

Buy the Book

Read More from the Oregon Trail Series

Connect with HMH on Social Media

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All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [email protected] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

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Cover art © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Cover art by Gustavo Viselner

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

Illustrations by June Brigman, Yancey Labat, Ron Wagner, Hi-Fi Color Design, and Walden Font Co.

ISBN 978-0-358-11787-2

eISBN 978-0-358-16431-9

v1.0919

GO WEST

Explore the Frontier

You are a young pioneer headed West by wagon train in the year 1850. You and your family have already braved nearly half of the perilous frontier path known as the Oregon Trail, crossing 820 miles of territory in what will later become the states of Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

For fifteen miles a day for more than two months, you have walked beside your oxen and covered wagon. You can’t ride in the wagon because it holds everything you need for the journey and for your family’s new lives as farmers in Oregon.

You’ve crossed mountains, prairies, and rivers, and you’ve passed famous landmarks like Chimney Rock and Devil’s Gate. You’ve also faced wild animals, stampeding buffalo, and learned to start a campfire with dried buffalo dung. You now know how to handle livestock and you’ve met members of the Cheyenne Nation, among other indigenous people. Best of all, there are still months of adventure ahead of you—if you can survive the dangerous ford of the wild Snake River at Three Island Crossing!

Only one path will lead you safely through the book to the Snake River, but there are twenty-three possible endings, full of risks and surprises. Along the way, no matter what path you choose, you will experience natural disasters, sickness, and other hazards of the Trail.

You’re in a desert without water! What can you do?

A rattlesnake is ready to strike!

A forest fire roars nearby, how will you survive?

Before you begin, make sure to read the Guide to the Trail at the back of the book, starting on page 154. It’s filled with important information you’ll need to make wise choices.

You’re not alone, and you’ll get advice from friends, Native American people, or Ma and Pa—but sometimes it’s best to trust your own good instincts. Make smart decisions and you’ll find your way to Three Island Crossing!

Every second counts!

Think fast.

What will you do?

Ready?

BLAZE A TRAIL TO

SNAKE RIVER!

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 is 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.

If you say you should head to Fort Bridger, turn to page 126

If you say you should take the Greenwood Cutoff, turn to page 106

Okay, let’s run! Joseph whispers, pulling you up by the hand. Once they see us taking off toward our camp, they will probably leave us alone."

You start to move, hoping Joseph is right. The Shoshone people are still several yards away from you.

But suddenly you see Pa and Caleb approaching on horseback. They have found you!

Caleb brandishes his rifle. Halt! he shouts. You realize that he thinks you are in danger. But no one has done anything to you!

All the Shoshone people draw their bows and point arrows toward Pa and Caleb. Your heart is pounding as you realize this could start a battle. And Pa and Caleb are outnumbered.

Hold on! you shout, jumping in between them.

Joseph raises his arms. We’re okay, we’re okay, he says breathlessly.

You see Pa look at you with a mixture of fear, anger, and relief. You feel a rush of guilt realizing how worried he must have been about you.

Caleb dismounts from his horse and walks slowly toward you. He’s still holding his weapon, facing the drawn bows and arrows. Pa starts to get off his horse when an arrow zings through the air near his horse’s neck.

Whoa! Pa cries. The horse startles and then takes off, with one of Pa’s legs still in the stirrup.

Pa! you shout, as your father starts to get pulled along the ground. Caleb races after the horse on foot, trying to get it to stop. It finally does, but only after Pa has been dragged for several feet.

Caleb and a young Shoshone man help Pa down. You watch nervously as they lay Pa on the ground and carefully examine his injuries. Pa is unconscious and his leg is twisted in a way that it shouldn’t be. It makes you want to throw up.

The Shoshone people end up taking all of you back to camp. They send a healer to help set Pa’s leg straight and give him some medicine to help him. But it will be several months before Pa can walk again, and he’s likely to limp for the rest of his life. In the meantime, he’ll have to