The four men took a northward route out of the town, following a trail beside what Sam knew now was the Mississippi River. They would follow the river until it intersected with another large river. Garrett called it the Missouri and they’d follow it to Independence, where the wagon train was being organized. He said they might even meet up with folks on their way to join the train. Some people even went to Independence by boat on the river, he told them.
At times, the trail was wide enough for all four men to ride side by side. Other times it was so narrow they had to ride single file. Most of the time they rode by twos. When that was the case, Sam usually rode next to Todd, with Garrett and Gus leading the way. Sam breathed deeply of the clean, fresh air of the forest. He felt a sense of
