After his father becomes injured fighting off a robber, ten-year-old Josh takes his place in the Cherokee Strip Land Rush of 1893.
CHAPTER 1
"Move out of the way, kid!" shouted an angry voice.
Josh McCord stepped back. He kept his eyes closed. They burned from the swirling dust. He heard the sound of horses and wagon wheels.
Josh opened his eyes. A large freight wagon passed in front of him. Arkansas City, Kansas, was painted on its side.
His family had often talked about Arkansas City. It was the starting point for the race. People could claim land at the end of this race.
Josh was excited. That's why he and his father were in town. Their wagon was stacked with supplies. His grandfather's horse, Lightning, was tied to the back.
Josh was tall for his ten years. He could see his father talking to a soldier. Behind them, the sun was rising.
Then Josh noticed a sign with large letters. It hung on the side of a building. It read: CHEROKEE STRIP LAND RUSH. Starts at noon on September 16, 1893. Register for certificates at booth 9.
Josh had never seen so many people. He guessed they had come for tomorrow's race too.
Josh thought about the family farm in northern Kansas. He remembered his family waving good-bye.
Mother had been holding baby Jenny. Grandpa Henry had been next to her. He had been waving the only arm he had. The other had been amputated during the Civil War. Next to Grandpa stood Uncle Nate. The black man wasn't Josh's real uncle. He'd been with Josh's grandfather since the war.
Uncle Nate had been a slave in the Indian Territory. During a battle against the Confederates, Josh's grandfather had resued Nate.
Josh loved his entire family. He looked forward to seeing them soon.
"Best be watching for Joseph Eagle Claw's sons," Josh's father said.
Josh turned to watch his father. Mr. McCord opened a tarp. He tied it to a nearby tree.
"It will give the horses some shade," he said.
Josh's father wiped his forehead. "It's going to be another hot one today. And that registration line looks mighty long."
Josh looked again at the people around him. Some were riding in buggies or wagons. Other were on horseback.
Many people walked around with handkerchiefs over their mouths. One man even wore goggles. The blowing dust was terrible.
Then Josh thought about Joseph Eagle Claw. He was a Cherokee. He and Grandpa Henry had fought with the Union army in the Civil War. They had remained good friends.
Two 160-acre homesteads were next to Joseph's property. It was more land than Josh's family had now. And the new land's soil was very rich.
Joseph Eagle Claw wanted Josh's grandfather and father to claim that land. Then he would help Josh's family start a new life.
