Alden the Pony Express rider : or, Racing for life Part 1

On April 16, 1860, seventeen-year-old Alden Payne and his friend Jethro Mix watch the first Pony Express rider race westward from St. Joseph, Missouri, and eagerly anticipate following Alden’s family to California in search of a new life. Quick-tempered Alden misunderstands an apology from Ross Brandley after the stranger is accidentally pushed against him, begins a quarrel, and vows to settle the matter later before joining an emigrant train guided by the seasoned frontiersman Shagbark. As the wagons cross the plains, suspicious movements, attempted ambushes, night watches, and a direct attack repeatedly threaten the travelers, but Shagbark’s experience and Alden’s growing courage help the company escape disaster and renew several old acquaintances. During an antelope hunt, Alden and Jethro experience both the excitement and absurdities of frontier life, yet Alden’s failure to find Ross leaves him frustrated and foreshadows the more serious dangers awaiting them farther west.