Sam and Wolf made their way from the camp, past the walls of the fort, to the group of teepees that made up the Indian village. Behind the village rose the mountains. The sun shone clear and bright, with no clouds and the snow-capped peaks in high relief against the azure sky. Sam again felt that strange emotion well up with in him. It was as if the mountains were drawing him, calling to him. Other than words of praise for their majesty, he had heard nothing positive about them—only that the trip across them was hazardous and arduous. Yet something about them was overriding these negatives and making his heart swell with excitement.
He hadn’t realized he had stopped walking until he heard a soft whine from Wolf. He looked down to find the dog also staring off into the distance, apparently
