Heart of the Wilderness (22 page)

Kendra looked up at it and could not keep the smile from her lips. Nonie would have told her that Father Sun was getting over his anger with the world and was willing to give them all another chance.

They reached the river and moved out onto the windswept ice. It was much easier for the dogs to pull on the level. They increased their speed, and Kendra was afraid her grandfather’s injured leg would make it difficult for him to keep up. She coaxed Oscar to set a more leisurely pace.

“We’ll have to watch it around the beaver dam,” George cautioned and Kendra nodded. She knew that the beaver dam could be dangerous. The water was deeper and the animals often made channels that would freeze over lightly. The channel ice could not carry the weight of a loaded sleigh.

Once they neared the dam, they slowed the dogs, and George walked slowly ahead of the teams, sounding the ice with a stout stick. Kendra followed carefully, her eyes ever alert for thin ice that might lead to trouble.

They were almost beyond the spot when there was a sickening sound of cracking ice. Kendra cried out to her grandfather, but it was too late. Another crack. She watched in horror as his sleigh broke through the ice and slowly began to sink from sight in the gurgling water. The team struggled to hold it, pulling frantically against their leather harnesses. Kendra held her breath. Would the sled pull the entire team into the icy stream?

The dogs continued to scramble, their frightened yips filling the crisp morning air. Sharp toenails clawed at the slippery surface; then Shanoo went down with a cry, splashing nosily as she hit the water. She struggled against the current but it was no use. Kendra watched as the dog was dragged under, the water closing above her head with a satisfied gurgle.

Kendra’s eyes jerked back to Natook, who still fought for a foothold on the slippery ice that seemed to keep crumbling beneath him. He was losing ground quickly. Kendra looked on in horror, frozen to the spot, her thoughts whirling too quickly to make much sense. How much, and how many, were they to lose?

It was her grandfather who brought her back to her senses.

“Cut the harnesses,” he called. “Cut the harnesses.”

Kendra looked up to find George at the head of his team, clutching the harness of the lead dog and trying hard to keep the team from slipping farther into the gaping hole.

Kendra dropped to her stomach and inched her way across the ice. As she moved she reached down for the knife in her moccasin. Natook was still clawing and scratching at the edge of the breaking ice, about to slip into the river. Kendra was sure she would not make it in time.

She reached for the frightened dog and gave him a boost with all the strength she could muster. At the same moment her knife sliced through the strap that held him prisoner to the sleigh. She heaved again and the dog increased his scrambling, his claws digging at the icy surface. Kendra heard the ice groan beneath her. For one awful moment she was sure it would break again and she and the dogs would slip into the chilly water. She held her breath as she hoisted at the sled dog again.

Natook managed to get his feet back under himself as Kendra slashed at the harness that tied the other dogs to the weight of the sled.

At last the final strap was severed. Kendra lay panting. She heard the sound of the dogs as they scraped and scurried their way to the shore, fright still echoing in their whines.

“Get out of there,” George called sharply and Kendra opened her eyes and forced herself to move, inching backward slowly in her prostrate position. She did not dare to try to stand. She did not even dare to draw herself up on her knees.

Where was her team? Had they gone down?

When Kendra thought she had slid far enough away from the danger zone, she rolled over slowly and looked around her. Oscar had the team in check. He stood before them, his eyes alert, ears back. The rest of the team lay silently where she had left them. The ice around them was still intact, but Kendra did not trust it for a minute longer.

She continued to slide her way back from the widening hole until she could safely rise to her feet. Then she called to Oscar and ordered him to bring the team off the ice to the safety of the riverbank.

Once they were all ashore, Kendra sank to the snow-packed ground. She was breathing hard and trembling from head to foot.

“We could have lost them all,” said George, his voice edged with strain.

Kendra thought of Shanoo. The dog had no chance against the strong current. She had been swept under the river ice and carried downstream. Kendra closed her eyes tightly. It was too awful to even think about. But, like her grandfather had said, they could have lost them all.

Then Kendra thought of the load of winter furs.

“Is there any chance at all—?” she began, but George was already shaking his head.

“We’d never get it out,” he answered her.

Kendra buried her head against her raised knees. It was so unfair. So unfair. They had needed every pelt. They’d already had a bad winter. What would they ever do now?

She felt a hand on her head. “We’ll make it,” her grandfather soothed. But his voice was tight with worry. She wondered if he really believed his own words.

“We’ll make it,” he said again. His words held more confidence now, as though speaking them gave him some assurance. Kendra lifted her head and looked at the teams lying about them on the snow. At least they still had their dogs. All but poor Shanoo. And she still had

Oscar. The ice had not broken under her weight while she fought at the edge of the hole to rescue the team. And, most important, her grandfather had not gone down. For that she was thankful. Perhaps they had a good deal to be thankful for after all.

Chapter Eighteen

Going Out

The summer was much kinder to them than the winter had been. Kendra planted a garden and tended it carefully. The vegetables kept their table supplied and produced additional food for canning and for their root cellar. Kendra spent day after day in the woods finding edible roots and berries. That, with the meat brought in from the hunt, kept them going over the summer and far into the fall. They got to the place where the flour and coffee ran out, but they managed to have food for their table.

Kendra did not even suggest that they pick up some supplies on credit as many of the other families in the area commonly did. She already knew her grandfather’s feeling concerning spending money that one did not have. George believed in paying at the time of purchase and preferred to make do with less rather than run up a bill at the post.

It was almost Christmas when they took their first pelts of the season to the trading center and bought supplies they needed to get them through the rest of the winter. They both breathed a bit easier with the cabin’s shelves stocked once again. It had been tough—but they had made it.

Kendra made a batch of fresh biscuits to go with their usual meat and vegetable supper, and they ate them all at one sitting. It had been so long since they had enjoyed the taste of any kind of bread.

The catch that year was a good one. Kendra began to hope she would be able to go out for school, after all. George brought the matter up every now and then to let the girl know he had not forgotten her plans.

“When do you want to go?” he asked one day as they worked together on next winter’s supply of wood.

“I’ve been told classes start mid-September,” replied Kendra. She did not have to ask her grandfather to what he was referring.

“And how much time will you need to be ready for classes?” he pressed further.

Kendra placed the wood length on the pile and straightened. She reached her hand up to brush wisps of blond hair back from her moist brow. “I don’t know,” she responded. “It’s rather scary. I haven’t been out for years.”

George leaned his saw against a young sapling and dropped to the grass. It was hard work felling trees and sawing them into stove lengths. They could both use a rest. He patted the grassy ground beside him and Kendra took the few short steps to lower herself at his side.

“I’ve written to Maggie. She says you can stay with her for as long as you like,” George said.

Kendra nodded. She was glad that Maggie Miller was in the city. She let her eyes drop to her worn and simple clothing. She certainly wouldn’t be wearing these to the classroom. What would she wear? None of her clothes were suitable. Her wardrobe consisted of a strange combination of deerskin and simple cloth garments. Most of the materials for her skirts and blouses had been woven by the local Indians or purchased as yard goods at the trading post. In fact, she dressed just as the Indians in the settlement did. Practical clothing, made to endure and keep one warm.

Her eyes traveled farther—to the tips of her moccasined feet. Another change and one that she did not look forward to. She remembered when she had gone out for school before and how uncomfortable the stiff, awkward shoes felt. She would have to adjust to the shoes this time.

“I don’t know,” she said again as she stretched the ache from between her shoulders. She had some nagging doubts. Perhaps she shouldn’t go out, after all. Her grandfather did need her to help with the work. It took both of them working hard just to survive.

“Would you rather I stayed here?” she asked him, her eyes still on her feet.

“Oh no,” he assured her quickly. “I think you should go to school.”

She didn’t know if his words were encouraging or disappointing. Did she really want to go? Could she make it?

He seemed to sense her mood. “Of course, there will be some adjustments—at first,” he commented. “But you’re bright and quick— remember, I was your first teacher.” They smiled at each other at those memories. “You’ll adjust quickly,” he went on. “And once you do—I think you’ll really like it.”

“You think so?”

“I’m sure you will. Just think of all of the new stuff you can learn.”

Kendra longed to learn, but she still felt agitated.

“And you’ll be all right?”

“Truth is,” he said slowly, “I don’t know how in the world I’m ever going to get along without you. Don’t know how I ever got along without you before you came. I’m going to miss you—so much.” He turned again to her. “But I want you to go—honest. I want you to learn about that big world out there. You won’t want to live back here forever. It isn’t fair. You need to know people. Other people. People your own age. You’ve never even had a playmate. Never even had a chance to play. I feel bad about it, Kendra. I—”

But she interrupted him. “There’s no reason to feel bad. I couldn’t have chosen a better way to live. Honest. I can’t imagine living a life where you just—just sit around all day—being bored—and useless. I love it here. And I’ll be back. I promise you that. I’ll be back.”

She leaned over and kissed his whiskered cheek.

They left in the middle of August. Kendra fretted and stewed as she checked the woodpile, the storage shed, the supply shelves. Would her grandfather really be able to handle things all alone? She would be gone for the whole winter. Maybe two or three winters before she returned to the cabin. Would he really be able to manage?

The trip out meant days of weary travel while Kendra silently wondered over and over if she was doing the right thing. George, silent as well, was sure his granddaughter was doing the right thing—the only thing—but he also knew that it was going to be awfully quiet and lonely when he returned home to the empty cabin.

When they finally reached the city, Maggie greeted them warmly. She had aged since Kendra had seen her last. George noticed it as well and knew that losing Henry had been terribly hard for Maggie.

Still, she was able to smile and chatter and inform them of all the new happenings in the city.

“We’ve got some lovely shops, dear,” she told Kendra. “Whenever you wish to go shopping, I will be most happy to go with you.”

Kendra was glad to hear that. She wasn’t even sure what she should be shopping for. How did the young women who attended university dress? Did Maggie know? Would the sales ladies help her or were they just out to sell as many dollars of merchandise as they could? Kendra trembled every time she thought of her upcoming shopping trip.