Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net WE WERE THERE AT THE OKLAHOMA LAND RUN BY JIM KJELGAARD _Historical Consultant_: SAVOIE LOTTINVILLE _Illustrated by_ CHRIS A. KENYON, JR. [Transcriber Note: Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] GROSSET & DUNLAP _Publishers_, New York Copyright JIM KJELGAARD 1957 _For_ ROSALYN LOUISE ALBERS PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NO. 57-5035 _We Were There at the Oklahoma Land Run_ Thousands of land-hungry people edged the Oklahoma border that April day in 1889, awaiting the signal that would send them across! What was in store for them? Wild riding! Possibly danger. Certainly adventure. And young Alec Simpson with his twin sisters, Cindy and Mindy, was to be a part of it. It had been a long, hard journey for Jed Simpson and his family up the Cherokee Trail from Missouri. But the promised prize of a homestead in the rich, fertile land of Oklahoma was worth it. Then came the long-awaited starting shot! And men on horseback, on foot, in buckboards and covered wagons careened across the border to stake their claims. Jed Simpson, riding alongside his partner, Pete Brent, leapt out in front. And just as fast, tomboy Cindy raced after them to give her father his forgotten gun. So it was three, rather than two, who staked claim to the sweetest land in all of Oklahoma. Their joy was short-lived, however, with the sudden disappearance of gentle Mindy and the arrival of a short, swarthy man with cat's eyes. It took all of Alec and Cindy's own special brand of magic to spirit Mindy back. The Simpsons had indeed earned the proud name of homesteaders. And for Alec, Cindy and Mindy it was a new life just begun in a golden land. WE-WERE-THERE BOOKS are easy to read and provide exciting, entertaining stories, based upon true historic events. Each story is checked for factual accuracy by an outstanding authority on this particular phase of our history. Though written for young readers, they make interesting reading for boys and girls well into their teens. Contents I Witch Girl II Pete's Story III The Sooners IV Ready for the Run V April 22, 1889 VI Mindy VII Wild Ride VIII Alec IX The Claims X Hungry XI Alec Comes XII Plains City XIII The Man with Cat's Eyes XIV Spirits Walk Illustrations Pete gave one of the flags to Jed Simpson Mindy vaulted to his back "Go back or I shoot!" he said "You dug that big a hole since noon?" asked the man on the horse "Nothin' like a little fight to clear the air, Jud boy!" Mr. Simpson added a big boulder to the cairn When everything was ready, she called her father and Pete "Need any law work done?" he asked Alec went into the oak grove