Tucket's Travels

Tucket’s travels

By: Gary Paulsen

            Tucket’s travels are 5 books in one about Francis Tucket’s adventures on the Organ trail in 1847-1849. The first book (Mr. Tucket) starts out Francis’s 14^th birthday on the Organ trail in a wagon train. Francis is going to Organ with his Mom, Dad and his little sister Rebecca. Francis’s mom tells him at the begging that his dad needs him to go and help him but when he gets there his Dad gives him a rifle. When Francis goes to try out the rifle he starts to shoot at buffalo chips when some Pawnee Indians grab him and take him to their camp.

            Francis is then stuck at the camp for weeks but then after a few weeks a one armed Mountain man comes into the camp. The man’s name is James Grimmes, it turns out that he lost his arm to the chief of the Indian camp. In the middle of the night Mr. Grimmes helps Francis get out of the camp. When Mr. Grimmes finds Francis in the woods he makes him some coffee. Mr. Grimmes then decides that he is going to show Francis how to survive off the land so Francis can get back to his family.

            The second book (Call Me Francis Tucket) Francis is on his own and is trying to find the wagon trail. On his way he finds an abandon wagon and when he looks in he sees a young boy named Billy and young girl named Lottie in the back whose dad died from a water disease. He then decides to take them with him to Organ.

            The third book (Tucket’s ride) is when Francis, Billy, Lottie go down south closer to Mexico and they get captured by some Comancheros and are taken to a camp in the middle of know were. After a few days a man comes to sell some stuff when Francis sees him it is the one armed man, Mr. Grimmes. Mr. Grimmes then helps the three out of the camp, but the Comancheros are following them. Mr. Grimmes then tells the three that they need to go on foot so it is harder to track them.

            In the fourth book (Tucket’s gold) the book takes place right after they start walking to find some food and water in the middle of know where. When they find a place to stay for the night Francis tells Billy to dig a small area for them to sleep in. While they Billy dig he digs a hole to find some fresh water. After a while they hear Billy scream so Lottie and Francis run over to see what happened and it turns out that Billy found a cave with a Spaniard helmet next to it . When they go down into it they find loads of gold and silver. They pack up as much gold and silver and then leave. When they are going Francis gets bit by a rattle snake. While they try to help Francis some Indians come and help Francis.

             In the fifth and final book (Tucket’s home) Fancies, Billy, and Lottie are almost in Organ. While traveling they find an English man with some servants traveling but Francis thinks it’s best if they go further away from the English man. During the night Francis decides to see what they are doing. When he gets their English man and his servants are dead. They were killed by a group of murders. They then ride away to get away, but while they are riding they find a beaver trap. While Francis investigates and he heard “well pilgrim I see you got clear of them Comancheros”. Francis turned around and found the one armed mountain man James Grimmes again. While they start to talk the murders are on their way. Mr. Grimmes then tells Francis to get the little ones and go on the mountain while he finishes this. Francis listens to the mountain man and takes Lottie and Billy on the mountain to get away from the murders.

When they get of the mountain they find a group of wagon trains going to Organ to one of the men come to meet Francis and tells him that his name is Orson. They begin to travel with him for a while, when they reach a river. The river is filled with sharp rocks, so if they try to cross with the wagons they will break. Francis, Billy, and Lottie decried to go around and meet up with the wagons. It took them about five days but when they get there they can’t see the wagons, but when he looks at the ocean he sees wagon parts and some men in the water.

 In a few seconds all the men vanished. They decide to leave and make their way and try to find Francis’s family. After a few more days they find a town and ask a store owner for the Tucket’s. He says that they live down the street. They get to the house and see a man there and they get off to talk to him. Francis tells the man who he is and the man gives him a hug and says “my son has found his way home”. Francis, Billy, and Lottie then live the rest of their days in Organ and live a long and happy life.