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    Westward Bound, Alone
    Westward Bound, Alone
    Westward Bound, Alone
    Ebook106 pages1 hour

    Westward Bound, Alone

    By David Leonard

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    About this ebook

    Dan, a teenager, becomes imprisoned in an totally dark underground caravan; he has suffered a severe injury and spends days in his grueling effort to escape. When he finally is able to exit his underground prison he finds the wagontrain has left without him. He is alone on the prairie. Dan cannot follow the wagons; he must follow the creek so as to have water. The wagon have gone west while he is forced to the north. He lives alone for long periods of time. Then he lives with indians, miners, trappers, and, finally, with his old friend Moss, a mountain man. He spends four long years on his journey. During this time he stays at such places as Ft. Hall, Ft. Boise and Ft. Vancouver. He is in pursuit of a killer for much of the four years.



    He finally reaches the Columbia River, Ft. Vancouver, Oregon City and the Willamette Valley in seach of his foster family and his sweet-heart. In the process he grows in stature and in wealth.



    The epic journey reaches from todays Wyoming, Idaho, Washington to Oregon.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateAug 24, 2012
    ISBN9781475944310
    Westward Bound, Alone

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      Book preview

      Westward Bound, Alone - David Leonard

      Copyright © 2012 by David Leonard.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

      iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      iUniverse

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4759-4430-3 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4759-4431-0 (ebk)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2012914549

      iUniverse rev. date:  08/17/2012

      Contents

      Chapter 1  Wagons

      Chapter 2  The Hill

      Chapter 3  Darkness

      Chapter 4  Light!

      Chapter 5  Campsite

      Chapter 6  Moving On

      Chapter 7  Food

      Chapter 8  The Cave

      Chapter 9  Sam

      Chapter 10  Timber

      Chapter 11  Improvements

      Chapter 12  Visitors

      Chapter 13  Well Away

      Chapter 14  Good-byes

      Chapter 15  Gold

      Chapter 16  Funeral in Nowhere

      Chapter 17  A Killing

      Chapter 18  Fort Boise

      Chapter 19  Tracking

      Chapter 20  Trapping

      Chapter 21  Crossing

      Chapter 22  Mining Again

      Chapter 23  Spring

      Chapter 24  Fourth Winter

      Chapter 25  Reflections and Search

      Chapter 26  Indians

      Chapter 27  Jethro

      Chapter 28  Homeward

      Chapter 29  The Settlements

      Chapter 1

      Wagons

      H e’d been eating dust behind the wagons. The dust was a ground cloud, blinding everyone four or five wagons rearward from the lead. The outriders were blessed with the absence of dust, but this was needful, as they were out there to give warning of war parties and act as guides. They led the wagons through the rough land and, they hoped, to water. With no breeze, the dust was held close to the ground round the forty-odd wagons—or, at least, those behind the front few.

      Dan was brooding about his real parents. They were dead and gone, but they’d always be in Dan’s memory. Pa had taught Dan that family was everything. Ma and Pa could be turned to anytime. It’d always been that way. Then they’d died. And he’d had to say a final good-bye to his sister, Sarah. He hated change.

      It was past noon as the wagons bumped through the sagebrush. Josh and Mary’s wagon was bringing up the rear of the train, so they were totally blind, but, as for that, most of the train was as blinded in the dust.

      This delay in the noon break might be hinting of something good coming. Or it might just be the captain of the train wanting to push on. He’d do that sometimes just to show who was boss, Dan knew.

      Dan Fitzgerald was either fourteen or fifteen. He wasn’t positive but thought he might be fifteen. His black hair was in need of cutting. His eyes were sky-blue, and his face was tanned. It was a strong face, unlined for all he’d been through. He’d been thin before the wagons started and was thinner now. He was strong—near as strong as some men he knew. But he stuttered. And he’d found that some folks thought stuttering meant you were slow and dumb.

      Dan was scared when Ma and Pa died. Shortly before he breathed his last, Pa had put his arm around both Sarah and himself and said, Never give up. Life ain’t always a fair thing. Jest keep goin’.

      Dan just couldn’t believe they were gone. Gone. It’d happened so quick. And life changed forever for Sarah and him. Josh and Mary asked the two if they would like to live with them. Mary had said, Think about it, and let us know what you decide. We’d like to have you.

      Later, in the old cabin, Sarah asked Dan what he thought. They knew the Martins. The folks had become friends with them in the small church congregation where they’d gone to worship.

      Dan was the very end-most part of the train; he trod close to the tailgate of the Martins’ wagon. Tomorrow they’d go up to lead wagon.

      Dan traveled with the Martin wagon because he and Sarah had long ago agreed that going to live with Mary and Josh was the thing to do. Really, there’d been little choice. Dan was only about nine and Sarah fourteen. Going on alone in the old cabin would have been miserable, if not impossible.

      Ma and Pa had been hardscrabble farmers who had only a small corn patch. Pa had brought in wild game for the table. He worked for others when he could. They’d scratched out an existence with Dan helping out. He’d only a few years of schoolin’. Dan knew he couldn’t make any sort a livin’—not for himself and Sarah. They’d go with the Martins and see how it was.

      Sarah was soon under Mary’s wing, and they’d become close friends. Colleen had looked up to Sarah like an older sister. Josh had just treated Dan like a man. Dan knew that Josh and Mary liked him even with the stutter and poor talking. They weren’t his real parents, but they tried. They’d opened their home and hearts to the orphans. They’d sent Dan to the little school down by the church. Maybe they wouldn’t if they had known what torture it was for Dan and his stutter.

      He had more than a few fights because of the stutter. Some of the older boys tried him out but found they’d tackled a bear-cat. He’d hit the first bully a fair lick and got blooded a bit in return. Still, the boy was big and knew he been fetched a dandy hit or two. Soon, he didn’t want any more. It’d been that way with a few more of the bigger boys with about the same results. Dan was a boy to stay away from, and most did.

      Josh didn’t try to boss him. He left Dan lots of room. In turn, he’d grown to like Josh. He looked up to him. Josh always told him the truth about things but didn’t preach at him. He’d known about the fights and just told Dan not to take any abusin’. Fight, and if it’s unfair, tell me was all Josh said. Josh was a quiet man with a ready smile.

      In less than a year, Dan was callin’ Mary and Josh Ma and Pa. It just came natural. Mary and Josh held hands with Sarah, Dan, and Colleen every morning at prayer. Why this was important Dan couldn’t say. It seemed, though, to crowd out that awful feelin’ he’d had when they’d buried his Ma and Pa. That was when the stutter started. Holdin’ hands was new and, somehow, special; it made him feel needed.

      Mary wasn’t his real mother, but he was

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