Table of Contents A Spark 6 A Change in Luck 21 Cursed on the Trail 37 From Bad to Worse 52 Revelations 66 New Beginning 84 5
Chapter One A Spark Like many great adventures the Bentley family’s journey westward began with a spark Well two sparks really There was the spark of imagination that grew in Robert Bentley from when he was a young boy It was the sort of spark that made his insides feel itchy with the desire to travel Robert wanted to learn he wanted to meet new people and experience new things That spark stayed with him as he moved into adulthood and became a husband and a father And then there was the actual spark the one that ignited the Great Fire of Pittsburgh in 1845 But for Robert’s children twins Eliza 6
and Leander Bentley that was the day they confirmed what they always suspected magic was real The morning of April 10 1845 began in its usual way As the sun rose over Pennsylvania Eliza and Leander were busy with their morning chores Eliza gathered the eggs from the hen house milked Abigail the family’s sweet old cow and then got down to her least favorite task churning cream into butter To keep from going mad during the repetitive and boring work Eliza would create her own songs Instead of singing the typical churning songs that were common in her region Eliza’s lyrics were always much more personal and occasionally if her mother was not in earshot a bit mischievous Poor Eliza poor Eliza Stuck with the silly butter churn Leander is out in the world When will it be Eliza’s turn she sang with 7
the up and down rhythm of the churning tub Many of her churning songs centered on how unfair it was that her twin had superior chores As a boy Leander’s work took place outside and was much more varied than her own Leander had to do physical jobs like chopping wood harvesting plants and hunting Eliza would have happily traded with him if it meant never having to cook another meal or darn another sock When the churning was done Eliza figured there was time for a quick escape before she had to help prepare lunch She wiped her hands on her apron and ran toward her favorite tree near the creek Leander was already there when she arrived making shapes in the dirt with a stick As usual the twins seemed to have read each other’s minds something they were so used to doing they barely noticed it anymore New or old Leander asked without 8
