by Ken Jolly
Luke Slaw came charging out of the barn a huge relieved grin on his face. "I thought we were dog food!"
"What happened?"
"We knew the wolves were around. Been seeing them for weeks, but I had livestock in the barn that was starving, went over to feed them yesterday when the wolves came in! Molly has been shooting from the house. In spite of having them in a crossfire, the wolves are fast.
I’ve been stuck in the barn since yesterday!"
"Two Fish, you stay here. Jake and I will go back and retrieve his machine. Keep the family safe." I looked at the rapidly setting sun. "We don't want to be caught out after dark. Their hunger is rapidly overcoming their fear."
"I've got an idea." Two Fish explained. "Help me tie those dead carcasses to my sled and I'll drag them in a circle around the homestead. Most animals don’t like the smell of their own dead" he paused, “unless they are too hungry but the scent of their dead might dissuade them." He grinned, “It’s an old Indian trick.”
“What do you know about old Indians?”
He ignored my comment. “My grandfather was an old Indian and told me.”
I added, "Or at least it might make them think twice. There’s no way can we get out of here by nightfall. Luke, you mind putting up some guests for the evening?"
"Not a bit. Especially, if you can take my family with you to town."
"Things aren't that much better in town, but maybe a mite safer. What about you."
"I've got ten cows and the chickens in the barn. I wouldn't feel right leaving them."
"We can work it out. Can Molly drive a snow machine?"
"Better than me," Luke admitted.
"Good. We leave Two Fish with you to watch your back for a couple of days and Molly can take his machine back to town. Give me a couple of days and I'll bring enough guys back and we can get your livestock back to town. We are getting a little short on grub."
"Works for me. Is that Jake?"
"Yep, second best shot in the territory."
Luke grinned. "I suppose you think you’re the best."
"If you ask him, he might argue, but I’m better."
"Well get your snow machines in the barn, then come up to the house and warm up." He looked at the low overcast sky. "It might be a long night."
It was a long night. I don't think many of us slept with the close howling of the wolves. They were cautious and didn't come within range however; we could tell they were being driven by hunger. With the rising sun, they faded further back into the brush but you always knew they were watching. Whenever we stepped outside you could feel feral eyes watching.
We brought the snow machines around front and loaded what little food Luke could spare. I hated leaving Luke and Two Fish behind but assured them I would be sending back help as soon as we got to town.
The Kids and Molly loaded onto Two Fish’s machine. I put them at the front of the convoy so we could keep an eye on them for safety.
Jake looked worried, "You know the wolves are still out there?"
"Yep, but we do what we have to. Stay frosty. Jake, if they get closer we go as fast as we can. If they get too close we imitate an old wagon train, circle the sleds and fort up. We still have the range with our guns to pick them off."
Most of the way back I kept looking over my shoulder, knowing they were back there but couldn't see anything. The wolves were stealthy and fast.
Nothing happened until we got to town where all hell was bursting loose.
Once again, we heard gunshots before we got there. Molly pulled up short and we formatted a plan. Her priority would be to get herself and the kids to the lodge. Jake and I would cover her then figure out what was causing the ruckus.
Molly slid to a stop in front of the Lodge entrance. We saw nothing so Jake and I jettisoned the toboggans and pushed to the sounds of gunfire on the other side of town.
It didn't take long to find the problem. There was a man with a rifle kneeled by the door of the old school bus. He must have been the one firing the shots.
Getting closer I identified old man Leech. His family had elected to hole up in their house. "What's going on,” I yelled?
"We ran out of grub and tried to make the Lodge. We found wolves all over the place!" His attention jerked to the right and I spun to see three wolves coming around the corner. You would think by now we would have at least made some dent in the size of the pack but they just seemed to keep coming.
I shouldered my rifle, did a snap shot, and one dropped. The others kept coming amid snarls and growls. Jake downed another one. Mr. Leech and I scrambled into the bus and slammed the door shut. Jake had gone to ground across the street.
"Maybe, they will get bored and go away," Leech suggested.
"Not likely. They look hungry to me." I regretted saying this as I saw the faces of the two kids next to me. They looked scared. "There is nothing to worry about. We are safe in here and I'm sure help is on the way.” I had seen Jake head back to the Lodge.”
I pushed past the large family most of them cringing when they saw the scars on my face. I think I scarred them more than the wolves. I settled near the rear of the bus. Lowered a window and looked to see if I could get a shot off.
Matt, the oldest son came to sit next to me. "We don't have much ammo left."
"No worries. What are you shooting?"
"30/30 and .223."
"We have plenty back at the Lodge and if not I'll roll some more."
He looked at me curious.
"I brought my reloading press to town. Save your brass. I have plenty of powder and we can melt lead for bullets." I saw four more wolves running across the square. "Might melt some silver also. I’ve heard that's good for werewolves."
`He looked at me even more strangely.
"Just kidding. These are just big overgrown wolves that are really hungry and I'm not planning on inviting any of them for dinner." I snapped off a quick shot but missed. The kid had been right. Ammunition might become a problem but I was hoping on a rescue party from the Lodge.
The afternoon rapidly lost light as we begun losing the short day. Help might not be arriving soon. "Any chance of getting this bus started. He shook his head negatively, "They drain all of the fluids and remove the battery for winter."
"It's getting dark and might be morning before help can get here. See what you can do to keep the other kids warm." I looked around. "We'll be safe in here even if we are mighty cold." I was hoping Jake could get some help at the Lodge. We were penned good. The howling was starting up again. Great, another sleepless night.
Mr. Leech and I took turns standing guard though I doubt either of us got much sleep. In the light of the morning, we could see the path the wolves had made in the snow circling the bus. They had worn the path down to concrete. Talk about persistence however if I got my way the wolves were going to go hungry.
I started looking around the school square making plans. If a rescue team didn't make it by noon, we might have to break ourselves out. I hated this trapped feeling. I had a plan, not a good one but at least it was a plan.
The kids were cranky but this was balanced by their fear of the wolves. The entire Leech family knew we had our back to the wall. Mrs. Leech tried to keep them quiet but the kids were scared.
The clock swept past eleven, which came and went with no sign of rescue. If no one found us by twelve, I was going to try and make a break, find an over watch position and try to get the family off the bus. I told Mr. Leech my plan. He wasn't happy but didn't suggest any alternative. Both of us knew spending another night on the bus was not going to work.
I tiptoed past the huddled children and tapped Mr. Leech who was napping, on the shoulder. He jerked. All of our nerves are strung as tight as they would stretch.
"Come with me." We moved to the rear of the bus. "This is the way out," I indicated my window.
"What about the others? Are they going to rescue us?” He looked nervous. I would be too with my family at stake.
"I don't know. They should be here but something must have slowed them down. There is not that much more daylight."
"What are you going to do?"
"We punch out this window and we use the sill as a footstep to climb on top of the bus."
"How does that help us?"
"Wolves don't climb."
He looked at me with more understanding.
"You see that garage next to us? From the bus roof I think I can make it onto the roof. Adam’s livery is next to the garage and is two stories tall with a loft door. We get on the roof, force the loft door. I sweep the loft for hostiles and we have a better place to sleep tonight."
"Are there any options?"
"None that I can think of. This is the only game. I think it will work. I'm breaking out this window, when I get on the top of the bus hand my rifle up."
I grabbed the rifle to use as a tool and commenced breaking out the window. The noise woke everyone. A couple of the kids started crying. Using the barrel, I swept the remaining shards from the frame. Being safety glass most of the window had shattered in tiny beads.
"Well here goes." I passed the rifle to him feeling naked without it. I crawled through the opening, which as big as I am proved a snug fit. I twisted around and sat on the sill. As cold as it was in the bus it was nasty cold outside. Bad wind chill.
I was able to grab the luggage rack on the bus’s roof, lever myself up than stood on the sill. The roof was slippery with ice and a struggle but I made it.
If the wolves didn't act up too much I would be able to help the kids up. From here, I had a much better view of my world. The wolves we had shot yesterday still lay in the snow and three more stood on a nearby porch.
They seemed more curious than hostile for the moment.
I grabbed my rifle, which was being thrust up from below with several others. Once armed and on high ground I felt better.
"OK, start sending the kids. I'll help them."
Matt was the first one up. I gave him his gun and told him to keep watch while I help the others. Eventually with a little cajoling and help, we got the entire family on the bus roof. They looked like a scared clump of humanity and I didn't blame them. I had no idea what they had been through but I had seen too many bloody half eaten bodies myself. I was so tired of wolves!
I gave Mr. Leech my gun to hold. This was the dangerous part. I took a running leap for the roof of the garage. Scrambled when my feet hit the slope, felt my knee twist and give way, and held on for dear life. For just a moment, my legs dangled before I could pull myself up.
I cut my hand on the tin roof but the knee hurt more than the cut.
At least I stayed up. The knee was going to hurt but for now, we have more problems.
"I'm going over to the stable and see if I can find anything for a bridge!" I yelled across. The sound of a shotgun blocked the last of what I was saying. I looked to see which of the Leech’s had shot but no one had a gun shouldered.
Then I noticed figures on the livery roof. Jake waved. "Sorry it took so long, we had the same idea to come across on the roof tops. Wait there and I'll bring a 2x12 we have been using as a bridge."
I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to see someone in my life. My imagination had been displaying vivid images of him pulled down by the wolves on the way back to the Lodge.
With the board in place, we were able to get the family across the gap without any of them making the wild jump that almost did me in. We joined the other men on the livery roof. Jake had brought a pretty good posse. I knew most of them. "Thanks for coming, we were in a pickle."
Jake grinned.” I could see. Didn't know you could fly?”
“We have a large caterpillar bulldozer parked down at the end of this street. Rooftop views all of the way then we will get all of you back to the lodge."
Mr. Leech came over to thank Jake. "I owe you my family." He shuddered. “There is no way we would have made it without you."
The trip back proved uneventful. Between our guns and the crowd, the wolves hung back. I think they were beginning to learn. In addition to being tasty, humans might be dangerous.
Felt like weeks since we had left the Lodge on our scouting trip to the homesteads. The Lodge almost felt like home.
After the rescue team got us settled in the Lodge Jake led an armed group back to the Slaws place. My knee had stiffened up and I was out of action.
I elected to stay rather than slow everyone.
The Lodge seemed strangely quiet after the normal crowded conditions as we awaited their return. I came to realize sometimes waiting is the hardest. I knew Jake and Two Fish can take care of themselves yet I worried.
The next day just before sunset, the team returned with Luke, Two Fish plus the cattle. They also brought Jeff and his wife from the homestead we were suppose to visit and missed. They had a couple of wolf skirmishes on the return but nothing serious.
They no sooner locked the cattle in the barn before we were hit with some of the worst weather I had yet seen in Alaska. The skies darkened as the wind switched and came in from the North. Snow literally blew horizontal.
Traveling between the Lodge and the barn became an ordeal with decreasing visibility, so we strung a rope between the two buildings so people would not become lost.
Evidently and thankfully, the wolves must be hunkered down somewhere also. The old phrase of not being fitting for man or beast made sense. We were just not smart enough to stay inside.
We hunkered down waiting for the storm to pass. Howling winds sounded like ghosts trying to tear the roof off. Many of our people suffered with cabin fever because even when the weather had been decent they have not been outside in ages. I couldn't really blame them. Yet, seeing only one-half eaten body was enough to make a person change their travel plans. The latest storm only emphasized the depth of our problems. We needed a solution.
Word spread a meeting was going to be held in the lounge this evening.
This rapidly became the topic of the day so as you can expect people gathered early and it became standing room only. Jake and I shoved in when Two Fish waved us over where he had been saving us space.
Jake looked around the room. "You can tell people are worried, if they flock in like this.” He indicated the card table, “Even the ongoing poker game has stopped."
"People bored," commented Two Fish in his standard monotone. I figured the house could be burning down and Two Fish would not sound flapped.
Hazel pushed into the center of the room. "It's good so many of you could come." She laughed," I know you had other plans." The noise in the room died down as everyone's curiosity stopped all other conversations. "I figured a situation report is in order and we need to decide how to proceed."
The room was now completely quiet. First I'm calling on Horace to give us a report of where we currently stand."
Horace stood up, shuffling some papers. He looked up over his glasses and as stuffy as he is he surprised me. "We are standing in the lounge." This brought forth some nervous laughter. "The reason I remind you of this is because over the winter we have had casualties. Before the Wolf threat, this room would not have held all of us. Now it does." The laughter died as people reflected. "There are fewer. Many of us know people that are no longer with us. “He consulted his notes. “ Very little of what I'm going to tell you can be accurately verified, as outside of town we have little information. Our population by best guess, before this happened was approximately fifty-six souls. This number includes locals and visitors. Today," he pauses and scans the room, "only thirty four remain. By the best of my record keeping, we have killed sixty-three wolves. They no longer crowd us as close, they have developed a fear of us however hunger still drives them and we are still in danger."
Hazel nodded and Horace set down. There was no applause as people digested the numbers. "The good news is thanks to the donations by the outlying homesteaders and everyone's hard work and rationing we believe there will be sufficient supplies to last until spr
ing thaw." There was a small cheer at this new information. "Because of this, we now have options to discuss."
Sam raised his hand, "What type of options?"
Hazel continued. "I've received several over the last month. These break down into three." She paused.
"One, we do a mass exodus of the remaining people. It's been proven lately the wolves are reluctant to tangle with us when we move people in mass. This would be a mass trip to Dawson, which will take several days. We do not have enough snow machines so many of us will be on foot. It will be slow and dangerous."
Hank called out. "Suppose we get hit by another storm like this one?"
"We wait for a weather window, and pray. It would be dangerous under even the best of conditions."
"Two, we endure until spring thaw. There will be pilots coming in when the lake ice breaks up. Once we get word out, we arrange an airlift and get everyone out. This is the safer option especially where the children are concerned; however it's at least two more months till spring breakup."
"Three, we try to send someone else out for help. The last team did not make it." She looked around the room at solemn faces. "I doubt that we will have many volunteers after what happened to the others."
Conversations started up around the room. Everyone had an idea. Most seemed in favor of running. They had seen too much horror and many had severe cabin fever.
Hazel was trying to regain control of the meeting. Enough is enough. I pushed to the center of the floor and using my command voice got attention. "I have a better plan!”
The room hushed. “I’ve spent most of my last years running from things and it sucks. If you leave here, you are starting over with almost nothing. Are we going to let animals drive us away?"
Lucas asked," What do you mean starting with nothing?"
"Think about it. You walk away from your homes, you have nothing. No resources and you will be depending on relatives or the State to start again. You will have only what you carry with you. Refugees, you’ve seen them in movies"
