SOLVED. two pioneer boys, captured by Indians, escape down the Mississippi [s]

[Rebekah]

This was read to me in 2001 or 2002. It was most likely a middle grades book.

The two MCs were boys, probably around ages 11 or 12. I think they may not have known each other well before they were captured. They possibly may have been from different social or ethnic groups; POSSIBLY one may have been Indian of a different tribe than their captors.

I remember the boys being tied to tree trunks on a rainy night and being left alone for a little. One of them discovered that the rain had somehow loosened the leather straps they were tied with, and they were able to escape.
I remember them running and taking care to run on bare rock as much as possible to keep from leaving tracks.

I think they were recaptured, and then escaped a second time later in the book, after travelling some distance with their captors.

There was something about one or several bearded Indians (white men who had joined the tribe).

When the boys finally escaped for real, they made it to a large river which they figured was the "Red River" (or something like that). That river was supposed to flow into the Mississippi, and they thought they could get back home by it. I don't remember what kind of boat they used. One morning they woke up and found that they were out to sea - they had been on the Mississippi already, not the tributary. I have no clue how they managed to get back to shore after that.

[Rebekah]

I think their captors were on the way to some large gathering or meeting, at which they would all sit in a circle and pass a pipe around for every man to smoke.

Hope something stirs someone's memories!

[Rebekah]

bump

[Rebekah]

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[``Laurie]

Have you tried looking for your book on listopia?

Sounds like a great book but it isn't ringing any bells for me I'm afraid.

[Pamela]

Likely a longshot, but something like this happens in a novel called Tadpole Taylor, which is by Keo Felker Lazarus. Tadpole Taylor

[Rebekah]

Okay - I've tried listopia without any real leads. I have no memory of the cover so that adds difficulty. :(

As for Tadpole Taylor, it may be a long shot, but it's the closest (okay, only) shot so far. Unfortunately, I can't find a good description of it anywhere online! Have you read it? Could you tell me a little more about it? The little I found on it (about two sentences) line up well enough with what I remember. Also unfortunately, the libraries near me don't have it in their catalogue, so it looks like I'll have to buy it to see.

[Pamela]

I have a copy in front of me. It's set in the mid-1800's during the founding of Austin, TX, where Tadpole lives with his family. His nose "tickles" whenever something exciting's about to happen. He makes friends with a Tonkawa tribe boy. Tadpole and another settler boy, Oat, are captured by Comanches while they're playing hooky. The Comanches want Tadpole to read a document for them, but he can't read.

After rereading that part, I'm afraid I misremembered the book. The boys were in a river when captured, but the escape was only by Tadpole and not on a river. Sorry.

[Rebekah]

Oh dear. I guess it's back to no potential books again. But thanks for the mention anyway. I might go ahead and get Tadpole Taylor anyway, since it sounds interesting.

[Melissa]

Was it fiction? I've been looking and finding a lot of historical accounts like https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

[Rebekah]

I'm pretty sure it was fiction, but I suppose it could have been based on a true story. It certainly sounded like a fiction story rather than a biography. But thanks for your suggestion.

[Rebekah]

I just ran into the one who read the book to me and she remembered it right off the bat! It's Big Smoke Mountain. I can't wait to get ahold of it now.