Snippet #1798668

The Chow family nearly always lead up the rear of the wagon train and among all the inhabitants of Hell on Wheels they had made it a point to keep totally to themselves. They were even aloof with the young Asian woman in the employment of the Porter family, thinking her inferior as she did not belong to the same social class as they. Once the caravan of hooded wagons had taken off again the Chow family took up their usual position in the rear of the train. Daiyu and the Porter's were the only members of the train that had noticed the family slip from the position in front of them to the last, but thinking nothing of it Daiyu's attention drifted off. The wagon belonging to the Chow's had slowly been drifting further from the main caravan until at last, it was a considerable distance away.

Jess Anderson had been riding close to the first wagon but then decided to fall back and join the Porter's, he had a feeling. Now riding his horse close to their wagon Jess pulled up the side of the canvas covering. "How are you doing?" Jess asked the young woman, receiving in answer a slight smile. If Jess hadn't understood her situation he might have taken such a non-response as an insult, but knowing that Daiyu was not particularly happy with her status in life and within the hierarchy of Hell on Wheels, he had not. At that exact moment something was stirring in the high grass of the plain, some unknown creature which was sticking close to the ground and running at a tremendous speed. This thing, whatever it was, was quickly gaining ground and almost on top of the caravan.

But then it suddenly stopped its advance when in quick secession both the reverends and the main wagon struck an outgrowth of gagged rocks which were hidden within the dense weeds, each receiving severe damage to their wheels. The reverends wagon completely lost its wooden wheel and nearly flipped over, while the main wagon's damage was a little less severe, though not by much. It was very dark this night and there was no moon to speak of, having spent most of its time hidden behind the clouds which floated in the nighttime sky. After striking up a lantern the reverend turned to his left and away from his broken down wagon to discover a medium sized sign which read ""Hope Falls, est 1820. Population 64.""