The Young Riders: Buck Cross Prompt 16 - Purple
Title: One More River
Fandom: The Young Riders
Characters: Buck Cross, Teaspoon, Polly, Kid, Lou, Jeremiah, Theresa
Prompt: 16 -- Purple
Word Count: 518
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Pony Express has ended, and the Civil War has torn the Express family apart. A few of them decide to strike out across the country to Oregon and a fresh start.
Author's Note: This is section 52 of a continuing story dealing with the journey from Rock Creek, Nebraska, to the West Coast via the Oregon Trail.
The mountains stretched in front of them, a purple line across the horizon.
Oh, they’d seen mountains before on the journey, but now they were heading toward the Rocky Mountains, the tallest and most daunting obstacle yet to the way west.
They had restocked at Fort Caspar, paying much more for basics like flour, sugar, and salt than either of them was used to. But there was little choice since they’d lost so much to the storm.
They’d spent two days at the fort, busying themselves with making needed repairs to the wagon and just generally enjoying some semblance of civilization after being storm-tossed. While Julie replenished their supplies, Buck had managed to get two replacement oxen, buying one outright and trading for another. He gave up one of the current beasts that had developed a slight limp, and the milk cow. Already the toll of the long road was showing on the cow and her milk production had dropped off significantly. And as they got further into the mountains the opportunities for the animals to graze would be nearly non-existent. So they’d agreed it was better to get some value now.
And so it was that the wagon, even though loaded with fresh supplies, rolled along easily on freshly greased axles and newly banded wheels. Between the
Fresh oxen added to the team, and the rest the others had gotten at Caspar, the animals were pulling strongly. And here on the main road between east and west there were fewer obstacles to their progress.
On the third morning out of Caspar, Buck was finishing loading the gear in preparation for another day on the trail. But when he turned back toward the fire he saw Julie standing there, staring ahead at the mountains. She didn’t even turn to look when he walked up behind her.
“Something wrong?”
“How far away are we?”
“From the mountains? Probably still a little over a hundred miles.”
Julie shook her head slowly. “They seem so large already. There’s really a way through for a wagon?”
“There is,” Buck assured her. “It’s called South Pass.” He studied the way the road curved, and the distant peaks, and then reached over her shoulder, pointing. “Right about there.”
“Is it a difficult pass?”
“No, it’s not. From here those mountains look like a solid line, impassable. But South Pass is actually quite wide, and a gentle slope. I rode through there several times for the Pony Express.”
“A hundred miles,” she whispered.
“We’ll be there in about a week or so,” Buck predicted confidently. Surely after all the troubles they’d faced thus far they were entitled to some easy traveling for a change.
Julie stood a moment longer, still looking at the majestic purple line that dominated the horizon. Then she turned around and smiled. “We’d better get going then.”
Buck returned the smile and nodded. He kicked more dirt over the smoldering remains of their fire as Julie put the last of their breakfast supplies into the wagon.
Within minutes they were once more underway, the Rockies growing larger with each passing mile.
Fandom: The Young Riders
Characters: Buck Cross, Teaspoon, Polly, Kid, Lou, Jeremiah, Theresa
Prompt: 16 -- Purple
Word Count: 518
Rating: PG-13
Summary: The Pony Express has ended, and the Civil War has torn the Express family apart. A few of them decide to strike out across the country to Oregon and a fresh start.
Author's Note: This is section 52 of a continuing story dealing with the journey from Rock Creek, Nebraska, to the West Coast via the Oregon Trail.
The mountains stretched in front of them, a purple line across the horizon.
Oh, they’d seen mountains before on the journey, but now they were heading toward the Rocky Mountains, the tallest and most daunting obstacle yet to the way west.
They had restocked at Fort Caspar, paying much more for basics like flour, sugar, and salt than either of them was used to. But there was little choice since they’d lost so much to the storm.
They’d spent two days at the fort, busying themselves with making needed repairs to the wagon and just generally enjoying some semblance of civilization after being storm-tossed. While Julie replenished their supplies, Buck had managed to get two replacement oxen, buying one outright and trading for another. He gave up one of the current beasts that had developed a slight limp, and the milk cow. Already the toll of the long road was showing on the cow and her milk production had dropped off significantly. And as they got further into the mountains the opportunities for the animals to graze would be nearly non-existent. So they’d agreed it was better to get some value now.
And so it was that the wagon, even though loaded with fresh supplies, rolled along easily on freshly greased axles and newly banded wheels. Between the
Fresh oxen added to the team, and the rest the others had gotten at Caspar, the animals were pulling strongly. And here on the main road between east and west there were fewer obstacles to their progress.
On the third morning out of Caspar, Buck was finishing loading the gear in preparation for another day on the trail. But when he turned back toward the fire he saw Julie standing there, staring ahead at the mountains. She didn’t even turn to look when he walked up behind her.
“Something wrong?”
“How far away are we?”
“From the mountains? Probably still a little over a hundred miles.”
Julie shook her head slowly. “They seem so large already. There’s really a way through for a wagon?”
“There is,” Buck assured her. “It’s called South Pass.” He studied the way the road curved, and the distant peaks, and then reached over her shoulder, pointing. “Right about there.”
“Is it a difficult pass?”
“No, it’s not. From here those mountains look like a solid line, impassable. But South Pass is actually quite wide, and a gentle slope. I rode through there several times for the Pony Express.”
“A hundred miles,” she whispered.
“We’ll be there in about a week or so,” Buck predicted confidently. Surely after all the troubles they’d faced thus far they were entitled to some easy traveling for a change.
Julie stood a moment longer, still looking at the majestic purple line that dominated the horizon. Then she turned around and smiled. “We’d better get going then.”
Buck returned the smile and nodded. He kicked more dirt over the smoldering remains of their fire as Julie put the last of their breakfast supplies into the wagon.
Within minutes they were once more underway, the Rockies growing larger with each passing mile.