...Back on the Trail out West with Henry & Jack, up to their neck with Grover...and more...

   

          I should clarify that as Grover being up to his neck, buried in the sand from some Comanche's that didn't take to him or his boss, Edmond Pierce , who were traveling to California, from Boston where Pierce owned a ship building company. Grover, a quite large black man, worked for him, but left on his own to discover on his own what the West might bring him since the south was out of the question. Jack and Henry had saved him once before from a dubious situation in a small town they stumbled upon while making their way back to Colorado for more work. Now they find him in another situation, brought on by him hooking back up with Pierce on his quest for fortune and fame. 
      They got as far as a little North of Colorado, in the foothills of Wyoming when they were attacked by a tribe of Comanche's, taking all their supplies and then burying Grover up to his neck, since they have never seen such a Black man, and were superstitious and didn't think it wise to kill him quickly. Edmond Pierce, for some reason was able to escape through their confusion with dealing with Grover.

      Coming through the thicket, trying to find a good place to camp for the night, Henry and I spotted something we never expected to ever see in our lifetimes. there was a head in the ground! Coming closer we could see it was Grover! We had last seen him after we were able to get him away from what could have been a terrible  mess between him and  angry mob. The next day we headed South, and at a split in the trail, Grover bid us farewell, saying he was heading back East. 
      Now here we are saving his ass again, which certainly would have ended in his death. I began digging around his neck slowly at first, then thought better to go a little faster just to make sure he'd be able to live through this. Henry took care of the horse's, and began to get started making camp. Soon he had some coffee, and settled in on an old stump to watch the progress with me and Grover. I didn't say any thing, knowing he just doesn't like to get envoled  in any other situations that don't directly concern him. I was fine with that even if Grover found it particularly peculiar.
      
     I think it brought him back to when he and his family were making the trip out here, and the time they got to the Mississippi where they had made camp and Henry went out for some food and returned with a young girl, who he had just saved from a horrible encounter with four Mountain men. They had just killed her young husband, when Henry spotted them in the firelight. Henry waited his chance when they got separated, he then eliminated the problem, which led him no choice but to bring the girl back with him to camp. His parents surprised at his return with what was suppose to be a hunt for food, instead arrives with her and some food from what she and her husband had.
    The next day with all of what happened, behind them, and a fresh start to go upstream to the Barge that would take them across the River and start the journey West.

       Once they got to the other side, everything seemed like it was back to normal, under the circumstances. The girl was named Lilly, and was from Connecticut. Her and her husband both dreamed of a better life out West, after hearing about it from families that had relatives that made the trip. They were the lucky ones, so it didn't sound so bad when they told of the open Prairies, just begging to have a large ranch built there, for a large family and all the livestock that you could handle.
      Lilly soon fit in helping out and what had happened soon became a distant memory. Henry was quite content with their new 'Family'. He was about the same age as Lilly, so they got along well.  
      It wasn't too long before they came upon the Great Plains Desert. They had to make the choice of when and who should cross it. At times only part of the Party would go, but that was when it was with a Wagon Train. This was as far as Henry's father made it when he first went out to scout what the journey would entail. They made camp, good enough for a long stay, hoping for a sign to lead them further. It came the next day, when a small Wagon Train pulled up to their camp, and asked....'How far ya all going..?'


      We'll see next time how far and how well they'll make it over the roughest part of their trip and find out what is in store for them.