Ben finds an old journal that he kept while traveling in a wagon train from St. Joseph, Missouri westward to Ash Hollow. As he reads, Ben remembers the journey with his second wife, Inger, and his young son Adam. During the trip, Hoss is born. While Hoss is waiting for a mare to be born Ben begins reading from an old journal which tells of the journey he and Inger, Hoss' mother, made by wagon train out West. Ben is the leader of the small wagon train which will link up with a larger train in Ash Hollow.