The mountains loomed in their path, And Father, knowing that time was short,
Looked concerned about the prospects facing the party.
The wagon train had grown, fifteen families now,
5 And our family was at the head of the train,
Father was the lead.

The summer sun bore down on us,
Exhausting our animals, making our train a snail.
Father knew we must cross the mountains before snow fell,
10 And this was the cause of his concern.
He could only push the train so hard,
The water and food would not hold out forever.

That night, around the fire, Father met with the leaders;
Each one listened as he expressed his concerns.
15 They had three months to make it through the mountains,
There were enough supplies for one more month,
And the distance to cover would take exactly three months.
There was not a day to spare.

The Best, Growen, and King families decided they would depart our train;
20 They would take their chances on their own.
Eight other families decided to turn back.
Those families took their leave from the meeting,
Leaving Father and the remaining three.
What were we to do?

25 "Push on," Mr. Wilmot said, "We can make it."
"There are fewer of us now," said Mrs. Walters,
"We can move faster."
"We should get to the edge of the mountains and camp for the winter,"
Young Mr. Stevens said, his voice casting doubt.
30 My father, unsure, called for a vote.

It was decided. We would travel as far as our supplies would take us,
And then we would discuss the circumstances.
There was gold pulling us like magnets,
Riches beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
35 Mountains could not stop us,
Only our own fear and doubt.
7
Which lines from the poem best support the central idea of the poem?
A.
The wagon train had grown, fifteen families now,
And our family was at the head of the train,
Father was the lead.
B.
They had three months to make it through the mountains,
There were enough supplies for one more month,
And the distance to cover would take exactly three months.
C.
The Best, Growen, and King families decided they would depart our train;
They would take their chances on their own.
D.
Father knew we must cross the mountains before snow fell,
And this was the cause of his concern.