Sample Chapter
"Henry and Bill"
Chapter 1
Unexpected Visitors
Fifteen-year-old Henry Trescott is riding for the Pony Express in hopes of helping his father save the family farm in Kansas, which is suffering from a drought. Along the way Henry makes new friends (including a young Bill Cody) and learns about the hardships of life along the Oregon Trail.
I grew to love the life of a Pony Express rider. Long hours in the saddle were physically demanding, but it was exciting work and I was never bored. Back home on the farm everything was repetitive—hauling water, milking cows, chopping firewood—and throughout the year you walked the same rows planting, hoeing, and harvesting.
Out on the trail, every day brought a new adventure.
In late August, I was riding westbound from Elkhorn to Red Buttes. The nights were already turning cold, so I was surprised to see a small wagon train camped near the fort at Platte Bridge. As I changed mounts I glanced back at the wagons, and caught sight of a familiar face. It was her! My chest was pounding with excitement—I wanted to stop but knew the mail had to get through, so I spurred my horse on. Galloping across the bridge, I kept craning my neck, hoping for another glimpse, but she had disappeared.
When I got to Red Buttes, I jumped off my horse and ran to the bunkhouse. Bill was snoring loudly—sound asleep after a twelve-hour ride eastbound from Rock Creek. I knew he had only just gone to bed but I didn’t care. I had to tell him the news!
“What?” he mumbled. “Who’s here?”
“Sally!”
“Sally who?”
“Sally Duncan!”
“Oh.” He pulled the pillow over his head and rolled over.
“I told you about her. From the trail, the wagon train I met—they’re heading for California.”
“Oh, that Susie Donavan,” he croak.
“Sally! Sally Duncan. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Played the mandolin.”
“Oh, yeah,” he muttered. “Congratulations. Name your first-born after me.” He closed his eyes again.
“Oh, no, you don’t. You’re getting up and putting on your Sunday best. We’re going visiting.”
“Oh, sure. What are friends for?” Bill said, sitting up. “I was getting tired of this bed anyway. More than two hours of sleep a week makes me grumpy.”
I went down to the river and had a bath, my first in weeks. I scrubbed my feet and ears, and tried to comb the sand and dust out of my hair. I borrowed a razor and shaved, put on a buckskin shirt and my good pants, and gave my boots a quick polishing.
* * *
“Do you really ride for the Pony Express?” asked Timmy, one of Sally’s twin younger brothers.
“Yes, and I have the saddle sores to prove it,” I replied with a grin.
“Have you ever faced outlaws?” asked Jimmy.
“Or Indians?” added Timmy.
“Sometimes,” said Bill. “But our job is to deliver the mail. The best defense is to outrun danger when you can.”
“Now, boys,” said Mr. Duncan. “Don’t bother Henry and Bill while they’re eating.”
“It’s no bother,” said Bill, smiling at the twins. “I got two brothers at home just about their age.”
I was shocked to see how much the Duncans had changed in a few months. They looked trail-worn, and ragged, and frail. Mr. Duncan was so emaciated that it was hard to imagine he had the strength to drive his team.
“Mrs. Duncan, you cook much better than old Hank here,” said Bill as he mopped up the last lick of gravy from his plate. “I haven’t eaten like this in a month of Sundays.”
“I didn’t know you could cook, Henry,” said Mrs. Duncan.
“Oh, I can’t really,” I said. “Bill’s quite a kidder. But he is right about one thing—you sure put out a good meal.”
“If we don’t get some supplies soon, we’ll be eating the oxen,” she replied. “That was the last of our salted beef and we’re almost out of flour.”
“And coffee, and sugar, and bacon,” added Sally.
“Supplies don’t come cheap out here,” said Bill. “Especially this time of year.”
“We can make do with what we have,” said Mr. Duncan. “As soon as I finish a few repairs to the wagon we’ll be off again.”
I glanced at Sally, who looked away when I made eye contact. It was too late in the year to even think of making it all the way to California, but I knew I shouldn’t say anything in front of the twins.
After supper I helped Sally and Mrs. Duncan clean up while Bill sat by the fire and told stories to Jimmy and Timmy. After that Sally got out her mandolin and played for us. Her voice was more perfect than I remembered.
Original Artwork
Henry and Bill is illustrated by Lisa Goldfinger. Each chapter comes with its own drawing, and the story has its own distinctive logo and two maps.
Teacher's Guide
Chapter 1: Unexpected Visitors
Vocabulary:
Drought – dry period when not enough rain falls
Repetitive – done over and over; repeating the same thing
Elkhorn – a Pony Express station along the Platte River (see map)
Red Buttes – a Pony Express station just west of Platte Bridge (see map)
Platte Bridge – site of an army fort and a toll bridge over the Platte River (modern day Casper, Wyoming) (see map)
Bunkhouse – a place where cowboys live (a bunk is a bed)
Rock Creek – a Pony Express station fifty miles west of Red Buttes (see map)
Mandolin – a stringed instrument like a small guitar
Sunday best – fancy clothes that you would wear to church on Sunday or for special occasions
Saddle sores – sores you get on your legs and bottom from riding a horse too long
Emaciated – very thin and sickly looking
Questions:
How long has Henry been riding for the Pony Express? How do you know?
Characters:
Make a chart or graphic organizer of the characters this chapter.
Historical Notes:
“…long hours in the saddle…” A Pony Express rider often rode routes that stretched between forty and sixty miles. The job was physically demanding.
“…galloping across the bridge…” There was a toll bridge across the North Platte River at Platte Bridge station.
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Last Updated on 02/25/10