Amy Bridger ~by Tanner

My dad is Jim Bridger; he was a fur trader. He was always away at the market trying to make money or in the wilderness trying to find furs. My mom was an Indian, who was also restless living in the city. Kansas City in 1881 was not a place for half-bloods. So I was sent to a missionary school; they where very strict and wouldn't let us play. At only 10 years old, I was sent away from my home. Dad said, "This will be good for you." But I didn't agree. Soon after I arrived, I knew I had to get out there.

School:

My teacher, Ms. Rooks, was my worst enemy. When she was whipping me, which seemed to happen at least two times a day, she would say, "They claim it is cheaper to assimilate the Indian than to kill him, but I wonder." I knew my father would take me out of there if he knew what was really going on, if he knew the pain I was feeling. After each beating, she would say, "I'm just trying to civilize the savage in you, now quit'cher cryin'." I despised how we were forced to march everywhere. We were forced to make our beds "correctly," shoes and buttons had to be so shiny you could see your own reflection in them. But the worst part was we were ranked by our behavior. I was always the lowest rank because the teachers hated me, and I didn't know why, but I think it's because I question everything. What's wrong with being a half-blood? Why do we have to be "civilized" and they don't?


After 2 months, I was lying in bed, tossing and turning, and I knew I couldn't wait any longer. I snuck out my bedroom window and ran like there was no tomorrow, tripping and stumbling over roots and weeds until I had no clue where I was. I came to a halt and sat down against a tree. Crying, I realized that this was a bad idea. When I ran out of tears, I got up and tried to find my home, but I didn't know where that was.. "Mom? Mom!" I yelled until I couldn't yell anymore. Finally, I laid down under a tree and fell asleep on the hard, cold ground.

The Wilderness:

The next morning I sprung up from the ground covered in insect bites. My head ached as I was trying to remember the previous night. I thought to myself, What would my dad do? It came to me, and the only way I was going to survive was to make a shelter out of the resources around me. I found a hole in a large, hollow tree; I fit into it perfectly. The tree was so large there was a lot space for me to lay down comfortably
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I found a stream with fresh cold water. I followed the stream to a nearby pond, and I figured there would be fish in there, and fish meant food. I found a sturdy branch on the ground and sharpened the end with a rock I found in the stream. When I was done, I went to go catch a fish, and I used the technique my mom taught me and ended up catching a big rainbow trout.
Next, I made a fire with twigs. I rubbed two sticks together and made a little flame. I cooked the trout until it was a nice shiny brown and took a bite, "This is delicious!" I said aloud. When I was done with the trout and my belly was full, I put out the fire by tossing some water from the stream with my hands. I went to lie down in my treehouse, and I took a nap.

The next day I decided I would search around my new home. I took my spear and dragged it in the ground, so I would know how to get back to my home. During my search, I spotted a town, and I went over there to take a look. Still dragging my spear on the ground, I saw a train station and what looked like a hobo cart. I climbed into it without hesitation and looked around. Then all of a sudden the train started and I fell to the floor. I felt every vibration as the cart shook. There was a map of Kansas in the corner. I picked it up and examined it. It took me a while to figure out that these tracks led home! "Don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm coming home!" I yelled, crying tears of joy. I planned to ride in the hobo cart all the way home. Will I really make it, I wondered.

The Train Ride:

While I rode the train, my feet were hanging out of the cart. I watched the open plains and oak trees sweep past me. They were so close I felt as if I could touch them, but I didn't cause if I tried to, I knew I would fall out and get mauled by wild animals. It was late and I was tired, so I went to lie down. Suddenly I realized that a pack of wolves were chasing the train...and me. I thought they were just following the train like they always do, but when one got close to me, it lept into the air and almost bit off my foot. Unfortunately, the speed of the train was too much and it got sucked under the train so fast it didn't have time to yelp. When that happened, the entire pack stopped in their tracks, afraid they might get killed, too. I was scared, my heart beating fast. I could feel it bang against my chest, trying to break free from its cage. It hurt me so much to see a wolf get killed despite its attempt to attack me. I burst into tears thinking about that poor wolf and how the pack must have felt losing one of their own, but I lay back considering how I would feel to be back in my "pack" soon.


When I woke up, the train came to a halt, and I stepped out and looked at the map hammered to the wall. "This is Kansas City alright," I said to myself. Now how do I get home from here, I wondered. I examined the map for a long period of time, I live on the other side of town and my house is North, and I'm facing East so turn left and head straight and I'll be home in no time at all!

Amy did not make it home. It was around five o' clock when she was ambushed by Indians, the same Indians that attacked her school shortly after she ran away. There are no details on how they found her, but all we know is that she was executed. However, at her parents death, they still thought she was at the school, nobody outside the school knew what happen for a few years. Her Indian mom died in the year 7/23/84, three days after Jim Bridger died. The Bridger family was extinct.

By ~ Tanner