blizzard - a snowstorm with strong winds

checkpoint - a place along a route where people sign in

courageous - brave, fearless

experienced - having the knowledge to do a particular task

musher - the driver of a dogsled team

rugged - having a rough, uneven surface

layover - a brief stop on a trip

refuge - a safe or covered place out of bad weather

squinted - looked with eyes partly open

volunteer - someone who helps free of charge

vowed - promised

whiteout - heavy clouds over snow, leading to completely white conditions that make it impossible to see

bewildered - puzzled greatly

homeland - country you were born in

longed - wanted very much

marveled - became filled with wonder

reminded - made someone remember

surrounded - put all around

silvereyes - small greenish birds with a ring of white feathers around the eyes

warblers - small gray or brown songbirds

funnels - smokestacks

plaques - flat markers that are engraved with words

shipwrecks - wrecked shops

survivors - people who stayed alive

unsinkable - impossible to sink 

voyage - a long journey to a distant place

wreckage - the remains of something that has been destroyed

bow - the front of a ship

crow’s nest - a small lookout structure at the top of a ship

distress - needing immediate help

drenched - soaked, very wet

hull - the main frame or body of the ship

iceberg - a floating piece of ice broken off from a glacier

loomed - came out from the mist or darkness

monument - a structure in memory of people who have died

portholes - small, round windows on a ship

second-class - having food and shelter on board at a  quality just below the highest or first class

stern - the rear of a ship

steward -  an assistant on a ship or an airplane

third class - having food and shelter on board of the least quality and price

conductor - a person in charge of a train or subway

depot - a train or bus station

jolting - moving in a jerky, bumpy way

lurching - moving unsteadily from side to side

platform -  a raised floor or surface

satchels - small bags used for carrying books and other small items

bobs - moves up and down

bristly - covered with stiff hairs

calico - a rough, brightly printed cloth

callused  - having patches of thick, rough skin; tough

craned - stretched the neck in order to see better

delaine - a light fabric used for women’s dresses

shanties - shacks; poorly built houses

stubble - the short, stiff stalks of grain or hay left on a field after harvesting

suspected - guessed

borrow -  to get temporary use of

check out -  to withdraw an item, as a book in a library

eager - excited, enthusiastic

glaring- looking at angrily

lap - to lick up or slurp (used as a verb)

storyteller- a person who tells stories

chattered - clicked together, as in cold or fear

arrangements - plans made beforehand 

gathering - a coming together of people

great-uncle - a grandparent’s brother

homestead - a house with land and buildings belonging to it

persisted - continued repeatedly to say or do something

pitches in - helps others get a job done

reunion - a meeting of group members who have been apart

satisfaction - contentment, happiness

announcement - formal printed notice, as of a wedding or other event

aromas - pleasant smells

baptismal - in this case, having to do with a Christian ceremony at which a baby is sprinkled with water   

blacksmithing - the art of heating iron and hammering it into objects such as horseshoes and tools

consent - permission

drumroll - continual beating on a drum

faded - worn, pale

insteps - the curved (arched) middle parts of human feet

limbs - arms or legs

murmured - spoken in a low, soft voice

reassured - made less fearful or worried

spectacular - out of the ordinary; impressive

squealed - made a high, thin cry or sound

taper - to become slowly smaller or less

tarp - a covering, such as waterproof canvas, to protect something outdoors

tilled - prepared the land for growing crops     

uproar - a noisy excitement and confusion

adventurers  - travelers in search of unusual or exciting experiences

determined - sticking to a purpose

frontier - unexplored land

gear - equipment used for a specific activity

opportunity - a good chance

pioneers       - people who are the first to settle a region

settlers - people who travel to a little known area and make a home

tanned - changed animal hide leather by soaking it in chemicals

wranglers - cowboys

corral - a fenced-in place where cattle or horses are kept

decoy - an object used to take attention away from one thing and move it onto another

derbies - stiff felt hats with rounded tops and narrow brims

distinctive - unusual

drenching - soaking

drum up - an expression meaning ‘to try to get business”

form - as a noun, a mold used to give  shape to something

gamble - a risk

gear - equipment used for a specific activity

hatchet - a small ax

homburgs - soft felt hats with dented tops and rolled brims

matted - as a verb, to become tangled or twisted

pelts - the skins of animals with hair or fur still on it

picturesque - very beautiful

prairie - a wide area of flat rolling land with tall grass and few trees

sapling - a young tree

scoffed - made fun of

scorching - burning hot

sombreros - large straw hats with tall tops and broad brims

suited - fitted the needs of

swig - a swallow of liquid

territory - a region or area of land

tuberculosis - a disease that usually affects t he lungs and in the past often resulted in death

unique - one of a kind

wranglers - cowboys

allegiance - loyalty to one’s country or a person

chamber - a meeting room used by lawmakers

citizens - official members of a country

citizenship - the status of a citizen with accompanying  rights, duties and privileges

enrich    - to  improve the quality of

examiner - an official who inspects or asks questions

oath - a pledge or promise to act a certain way

petitioners - people who ask for something in writing

aisles - spaces for walking between rows of seats

apologized - asked forgiveness

certificate - an official document that gives information to prove an event or fact

chorused - called out together

congratulations - good  wishes to someone  at a happy event or for a job well done

courthouse - a building that contains courts of law

defeat - to win victory over

DJ - disc jockey:  someone who plays music on a radio station

ferry - a boat that carries passengers and often, their vehicles from one point to another

harbor - a sheltered place along a coast where ships can safely anchor or dock

highlands - a high or hilly area

lobbed - tossed up in the air

obliged - forced to act in a certain way

outstretched - extended; reached out

skidded - slid or slipped

stooped - bent down

crossly - in a grumpy   or grouchy  way

elegant- marked  by good taste; graceful

godmother - a woman who acts as a child’s parent

orphan - a child whose parents are dead

peasant - relating to a poor farm worker

proud - thinking too highly of oneself

agoutis - rodents that dig in the ground commonly found in South and Central America

chaperone - to go with a young woman when she is out in public with a young man

charged - directed or ordered

commotion - noisy activity

gilded - covered with a layer of gold

hesitation -doubt or delay

hollow - false or meaningless

manioc - the root of a tropical plant, used in making pudding

pallet - a narrow, hard mattress

riddance - removal of something unwanted

shift - a loose-fitting dress

affected - caused a change in

horizon - line along which the earth and sky seem to meet 

miscalculated - figured incorrectly

singe - to burn slightly

temperature - measure of heat or coldness

weather vane - movable pointer  that  shows wind direction

blizzard - a long, heavy snowstorm

churned - stirred or shook greatly

clump - a group of things close together

commotion - noisy confusion

crinkled - wrinkled

dog-paddled - swam holding head above water, like a dog

frisky - lively and playful

harvest  - gathering in of crops

licked - beaten

lit - landed

mercury - a silvery white metal used in thermometers

pasture  - land used for animals to graze (eat grass)

resist - to fight the urge for

snagged - caught on something sticking out

spirits - mood

sprouted - sent out new growth

trough - a long, narrow container that holds eater or food for animals

wiff - slight wind, especially one carrying a smell

yeast - a substance that is used to make bread dough rise

attentively - with attention or alertness   

disappointed - feeling like things didn’t go the way you had hoped

misunderstanding - a failure to understand

nervously - with concern, worry or fear

troublesome - causing problems

abundance - more than enough

ancestors - people in one’s family who lived many years ago

lure - fake bait used to attract fish

scavengers - animals that feed on dead animals

spawn - to lay eggs and reproduce, as fish do

cure - to preserve food by salting, smoking, or pickling

excess - more than what is needed

expending - using up

filets - small boneless pieces of meat or fish

fry - recently hatched fish

slinks - moves in a sneaking way