The Aldridges and the Indians Part 1

    One bright spring morning on the Aldridge family’s Ohio farm six children were busy feeding the animals before breakfast.
    “Hurry, Caleb, can’t you milk any faster?” Benjamin grumbled to his twin.
    “Nein, not unless Elsie kicks me,” Caleb replied. “I’m just as excited to hear what Pa has to say as you or anyone else!”
    “Sure you are! Well, I know for one thing that Inga sure isn’t excited.”
    “Why is that?”    
    “She’s been a moping about ever since yesterday. I think Mama’s all ready told her, and she isn’t none to happy ‘bout whatever it is.”
    “I wonder why.” Caleb pondered.
    “Well, I do too, but if you don’t hurry we’ll never find out!”
    “What are you two grumbling about?” Came a small voice from outside the stall.
    “Oh, nothin,’ Sofia. Did you feed Pup all ready?”
    “Yes, and Isaac’s feeding Miss Piggy.” Sofia replied.
    “Okay. I’m done now!” Said Caleb, leaping up from the milking stool with the pail full of milk in tow.
    “Hey, watch it, you spilled some milk!” Benjamin said.
    “Oh, sorry. Come on, let’s go to the house! I’m very hungry, I wonder what Ma fixed for breakfast!”
    “Yeah, me too! Say, where is Isaac?”
    “Right here!” Isaac yelled in Benjamin’s ear.
    “Ow! I ain’t deaf, ya know!” 
    “Oh, sorry, but no one would know with that nonstandard English you use!” Isaac said.
    “What ever does that have to do with hearing?”
    “Hearing your English lessons, that’s what, big brother!” Isaac said smartly.
    “Uh huh. I’m hungry, let’s go!”
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    The four children entered the sprawling log cabin where they were greeted by warm air and a pleasant aroma of hotcakes fresh from the griddle. 
    Soon everyone was seated at the breakfast table, except for Adah.
    “Adah Juliana! Where are you?” Anika (mother) called.
    “I’m coming, Ma!” A short girl of fourteen bounded down the stairs at breakneck speed and skidded to a stop at the table.
    “Adah! Why are you wearing your brother's trousers?”
    “Dresses are so confining! You can do ever so much more in trousers.” Adah replied. 
    “Well, you are a young lady. I expect you to go upstairs and change into your chore dress directly after breakfast.”
    “Yes, ma’am.” Adah replied reluctantly.
    “Good. All right, shall we eat?”
So Papa said grace and everyone dug in. Soon breakfast was over and Papa cleared his throat.
    “I have an announcement to make,” 
    “Oh, what is it, Papa?” Adah asked excitedly.   
    “Hold your horses now, Adah. I’ve been pondering the newspaper articles of all the land waiting to be filled in the West, and it seems like a right good idea. There’s a wagon train leaving for Oregon in three weeks, and your mother and I are seriously considering going along. What do you all think?”   
    “Leave all our family and roots? You’re surely not serious, Papa! And to go to the unsophisticated west? Where there are Indians and wild people and who knows what else?” Inga said in horror. 
    “Inga Elisabeth! Watch what you say, young lady. Are you completely forgetting your own mother? You yourself are part Indian!” Papa scolded.
    “I-I’m sorry. I-I forget that Mama is Indian. She just doesn’t seem it.” Inga said.
    “And what exactly are Indians supposed to be like?” Mama asked.
    “Well, ah......”
    “Wild and unsophisticated?” Mama asked.
    “No, no, that’s not at all what I meant, it’s just that we would be leaving everything we knew here!”
    “And what’s wrong with trying something new occasionally?” Papa asked.
    “Well, nothing I suppose. But we wouldn’t be trying it, it would be permanent!” Inga protested.
    “We’ll think on it. Nothing is certain yet, so there’s no reason to fret over it. What do you other children think?”
    “I think it’s a grand idea!” Adah said exuberantly. “I’ve always wanted to go west!”
    “Me too!” Chimed in Benjamin and Caleb. Sofia looked a bit uncertain, as she usually tried to agree with everyone, but since Inga wanted to stay and the rest wanted to go, she didn’t know which would be best.
    “Well, if we went by popularity vote, it would seem that we’re going, but since some members of the family are not so willing, we’ll give this some thought and prayer.”
    “As we would anyway, Jakob.” Mama said.
    “Yes, Anika.”
                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    It turned out, as you may have guessed, that the Aldridge family decided to go west to Oregon. Soon the three weeks of packing and saying farewell was up, and the Aldridges’ were on their way west with several other families.
    The trail guide had said that the best time to start out on the Oregon Trail was spring time, so that you didn’t get caught in the winter snows when you were trying to go over the mountain passes. It was late spring, but yet still spring, so the Aldridge family decided to take this train instead of waiting until the next spring.
    The trail winded on and on across the endless prairie, stretching out to beyond the horizon.
    “Pa, how long will it take to get to Oregon?” Isaac asked.
    “At the most, until December or around there. With good traveling conditions, we could arrive as soon as October, but that would be pushing it.” Pa replied.
    “How do you know that?” Isaac, ever the curious one, asked.
    “The trail guide told me when I asked. So you see, I’m just as curious as you are, little one.” Pa said, grinning. Isaac laughed.
    “Pa, can I drive the wagon tomorrow?” Benjamin asked from on top of his horse beside the wagon.
    “Here, why don’t you come sit beside me and I’ll teach you some things today so you’ll be fine on your own tomorrow.” Pa offered.
    “Oh, thanks, Pa!”
    “Sofia, do you want to ride Patches?” Benjamin asked Sofia, who was sitting in the wagon doing some stitching with Inga.
    “May I, Ma?” Sofia asked eagerly.
    “Certainly, dear.”
    “All right!” Sofia grinned, hopping to the edge of the wagon, where Benjamin reached out and swung Sofia on to the saddle in front of him before he jumped off into the wagon.
    “Aren’t you the acrobat, Benjamin! Maybe you’ll have to train for the circus!” Inga laughed.
    “Maybe so, sister! Then you could come with me and see all the different cities!” 
    “Ah, wouldn’t that be lovely.” Inga mused. 
    “Hey, sis, we’re seeing some pretty fine sites here on the prairie, don’t forget!” Caleb called up from his position at the back of the wagon.
    “Indeed we are, Caleb.”
    “Say, where is Adah?” Isaac suddenly asked, peeping out from the wagon.
    “I thought she was riding with you, Caleb,” Ma said.
    “She was, but then she headed off that a way. She said she was going to see what was ahead.” Caleb replied.
    “How long ago?” Pa asked, a crease forming on his forehead.
    “Oh, near an hour ago, I s’pose.” Caleb replied.
    “Did she say when she’d be back?”
    “No, sir.”
    Just then the sound of pounding hooves sounded in the distance, and they saw a horse galloping swiftly towards the wagon train.
    “It’s Adah!” Cried Inga.
    “Oh, good.”
    “Why is she coming so fast?” Sofia asked, nudging her horse along as he was lagging behind.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Pa! Ma!” Adah called as she neared their wagon.
    “Adah, what is it?” Ma asked.
    “Indians! Over that way!” Adah cried, pointing to the Northwest. As if from a cue, several spotted ponies topped the rise from the North and galloped down towards them. Before they knew what was happening, the Aldridge family was caught up in the midst of the galloping horses and the oxen were being herded along. Benjamin fought with all his might to contain the oxen, but it was too much for his little strength. The reins slipped from his hands and whipped across the oxens’ backs, causing them even more fright, and the wagon lurched forward again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2 coming next month! =)