The Todd family gathers their things and prepares to continue their journey out of Independence. They join their wagon train and head out on the trail. As they travel, Mary Ellen notices that the sky and plains look bigger. She also realizes how different it is to travel with the wagon train compared to traveling alone. The wagons kick up dust, and they have to move more slowly. However, Mary Ellen is glad they have company. There are children to run and play with and at night, the families sing, talk, and dance. One night, the children run around in the dark and catch fireflies near the campfires.

The wagon train reaches the Wakarusa River, which is their “first real obstacle” since leaving Independence (48). For several days, the families camp on the riverbank and work together to build a makeshift bridge to cross the river. Just before crossing, another wagon train appears and tries to cut them off and use the bridge first. Father calls for everyone to get in their wagons. He then leads the wagon train onto the bridge and stands up to the other travelers. Mary Ellen is surprised to see how aggressive Father is as he’s usually calm and kind.