THE FORT: A BIGFOOT ENCOUNTER

I grew up in the 1960s when westerns were very popular, and I have always enjoyed good westerns. 

Families migrating west and dealing with the unknown.  Seeing old  men who have lived out in the wilderness for years.  Knowing that the calvary was going to ride in at the last minute and save everyone was always a thrill.  Another interest has always been the legend of bigfoot.  I have always wanted to write a bigfoot story, and the thought of putting my love for westerns in with my interest in bigfoot made sense.

My story involves a frontier family trying to survive in an area where their only neighbor is Fort Henson which is about a day’s ride away.  There is a frontier man in the area who had headed west years ago and had built a house for himself and his wife, only to find out that she died on her way to join him.  He now lives alone in what would have been their home. A wagon train of settlers is heading to Fort Sumner filled with elderly holly rollers hoping to build a church.  Fort Henson marks the end of the calvary’s influence going west, but that influence is soon to be replaced by Fort Sumner which has been built farther to the northwest.  Unbeknownst to the soldiers at both forts, the territory to the northwest has been reserved for a creature that they have never seen nor heard about.  

Colonel Samuel Moore has dispatched a support group to Fort Sumner to aid in their exploration of the territory.  While he waits for their return, a saddled and riderless horse gallops into Fort Henson.  Colonel Moore recognizes the horse as belonging to one of the soldiers he had sent to Fort Sumner.  Now he must send another force out to see what has happened to the first and to see if Fort Sumer is in need of further aid.

Captain Christopher Dent is leading the second force to Fort Sumer from Fort Henson when they happen across July Majors who welcomes the small group to his cabin for the night.  While there, they come under attack from an unseen force that is throwing huge stones at the cabin.  During the attack one of the soldiers is severely injured.  The attack only ceases when the sun rises.  The injured soldier and July Majors stay behind and decide that they will leave the cabin and head towards Fort Henson for some medical attention while the captain proceeds to Fort Sumner.

Ethan and Emily Stone and their two sons are working their small farm when a saddled and riderless horse comes onto their property.  Ethan assumes it is from the new fort that is somewhere in the area, and he and his youngest son set out to return the animal to its rightful owner.

While on their way to Fort Sumer they happen across a small wagon train that is awaiting an escort from the fort.  The volunteer to help the small group of hilly rollers in their efforts to locate the fort where they are to set up a church.  The group comes under attack and are forced to abandon their belongings in order to travel faster.

What happens when everyone arrives at Fort Sumner within hours of each other tells them that they are no longer welcome in  this land, and  they begin a return trip to Fort Henson that is even more dangerous than their trip to Fort Sumner.

There is no age restriction on my book.  There is no blood and guts, no profanity.  I hope I have stayed true to the western story and the legend of bigfoot.  My only hope for the reader is that they enjoy the story and tell their friends and family, and maybe look up one of my other books and give it a read. 

I’m a retired seam welder.  Husband.  Father of a teenage boy.  Dad to 4 cats.  3^rd of 10 children.  Author of 7 books on kindle.  Dreamed of being a writer my whole life.