Grandpa's Adventures
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Suddenly
“Billy is gone too. They must be together.” John had a sick feeling that they were in the mountains.
“They can’t be to far.”, he went on.
A search party was gathered and soon some of the men and soldiers were going in different directions into the hills searching for the missing boys. By night fall, they hadn’t been found. It was to dark to see anything.
Jane fed everyone and sent the kids to bed early. They quieted down with their own thoughts. They were as worried as their Mom and Dad. They had visions of their brother being eaten by wild animals or the Indians getting them.
The men paced back and forth and talked about what might have happened. They hoped that they hadn’t been taken by renegade Indians. Not only this but the wild animals were also a great threat. The search would resume early in the morning. Jane was frantic! All she could do was wait and see.
Billy and Wes were standing below some big trees throwing rocks at the branches.
“I wonder what is up on that hill.” Billy said. “Should we go and see?”
“Maybe we shouldn’t. Might get lost. Let’s don’t.” Wes said very nervously. “I’m scared of the bears and Indians.”
“We’ll just go to the top of the hill. We’ll be able to see the wagons. Come on Fraidy Cat!” he said as he started up the hill into the trees.
Wes was right behind him. He was afraid to go and afraid to turn back.
They climbed up and around a hill and became lost. They could no longer see the wagons. Realizing that they were lost, they decided to try and find their way back through the trees. They wandered around for a long time. Wes started complaining that he was hungry and thirsty. Billy tried to reassure him that the army would come and look for them and bring food and water.
The sun went down early in the trees and it soon became very dark. The boys hung onto each other so they wouldn’t become separated. They sat down at the base of a large pine tree and tried to rest. Billy couldn’t sleep right away but soon Wes was cuddled up to him fast asleep. Here they stayed the night.
The next morning they woke up with someone shaking them. A grizzled old man with long hair and a large matted beard was looking down at the two of them.
“Wake up you two! Been here all night? Are you the ones that those army fellers are lookin’ for? You must be cold and hungry.” he guessed.
“We just went lookin’ around.” Billy told him. “All of a sudden we couldn’t see the wagons. We tried to get back through the trees and then we really got mixed up!”
“Well, come on! I’ll set you on the right track so you can get back okay. I ‘magine your folks are plenty worried by now.” He turned and walked into the trees and the boys were right behind him.
The boys soon realized just how far they had wondered around lost. It must have been several miles. The old man stopped and pointed to a trail going down the hill. It wasn’t much of a trail. One that was used by wild animals.
“Stay on this and don’t turn around. You will be okay. It goes down and around this hill and will bring you out to where you’ll see the wagons in the distance.”
The boys did as the old man told them. Billy suddenly remembered to thank him, but the old man was gone. He just seemed to disappear as though he was never there.
Coming out of the trees, they spied the wagons about a quarter of a mile ahead.
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About the Book
This novel is based on fact. Though it is based on fact, this novel uses fictional events, places and characters.
Parts of the novel are humorous, while other parts are exciting and interesting. I am attempting to follow the lives of my father’s parents, John and Elizabeth Taylor, from the time of the Civil War, their marriage, their lives and adventures in different states, their travels across the country by wagon train and their lives in
My dear aunt told me stories many years ago. Some I remember and some I remember only parts of. She was a very young girl at the time and experienced many of these things.
I learned many things by asking questions. When relatives and people learned that I was interested in writing a book of this nature, they came forward with letters and stories of their own that I was able to use.
Grandpa John was a tailor and made his living this way. Later in years he became fascinated with the railroads and became an engineer.
I found this book to be fascinating to write and wishing that I could have been there and lived in such times before the machine revolution changed the world.
About the Author
Veda Taylor Strong was born Veda Ellen Taylor in Harlowton, a small town in central She has worked as real estate agent, bartender, waitress, school custodian, Notary Public and apartment manager. She enjoys working with the public and the elderly. Her hobbies are crossword puzzles, genealogy, reading and writing. She has always wanted to write a book and plans to write more.