“No,” Peter said, moving toward the door. “What I really need is to spend some time in prayer.”
Miranda got up and followed him to the door. “If you need me, I’m here. Please let me be there for you, as you’ve always been there for me. Being the strong one all the time must be an exhausting endeavor.”
Peter smiled sadly. “I believe God has broken me of my craving for control. Now, all I long for is my wife and child.”
Miranda closed the door after he’d gone and locked it. Shaking her head, she looked to Teddy for strength and support. “I just don’t know if he can bear this.”
“He’ll have to. Pride is a harsh mistress,” he said, coming to wrap her in his embrace. “So, too, is obsession.”
Miranda looked up to meet his gaze. Puzzled by his words she asked, “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, I’ve long been devoted to an obsessive desire. It almost cost me your love. I’ve been driven to work on this book—to fulfill my father’s dreams. I thought that if I brought this book to life, it would in some small way give life back to my father.”
“You loved him very much, didn’t you?”
“As much as a boy can love his hero. I adored my mother, for she was fun-loving and sweet and gentle, but my father was the man I wanted to grow up to be. My mother never understood his passion, but I did. Not because it was plants and flowers—but because it was so much a part of him. It was his desire as much as she was.”
“Didn’t she try to understand?” Miranda questioned.
“I don’t know. I think she must have. After all, she would tolerate the trips to Cornwall. But my father was always very much alone in his work. It was one of the reasons I took up the interest. I wanted to be close to him—to let him know that someone understood and cared.”
“That’s why I want to help you with your research. I know what this project means to you.”
“I’m glad you know, because what I want to say—to offer—is given out of my deepest love for you.”
“I don’t understand, Teddy. What are you talking about?”
“I’m saying that instead of leaving next week for the cabin, we’ll stay here and help Peter search for Grace. We’ll purchase supplies and horses, and we’ll hit the trail and look up and down every creek where they’ve had even so much as a dusting of gold.”
Miranda knew the cost of Teddy’s gift. Her heart swelled with joy and love for this man—her husband. That he would sacrifice for her in this manner was all the proof she needed that she had done the right thing in marrying him.
“Oh, Teddy, you are more wonderful than I can find words to say.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed his head down. Ardently, she kissed him, pouring out all her emotions in that one action.
He moaned and pulled her tight against him. Miranda felt him sink his hands into her hair. Pulling her head back gently with one hand, he used his free hand to gently touch her cheek. At this, Miranda opened her eyes.
“You may not have the words to say,” Teddy said in a low, husky voice, “but I think I understand your meaning just the same.”
The celebration started early, as expected, but it didn’t awaken Peter. He had been awake for hours. In his mind he kept replaying the news that Miranda had given him. Grace was alive. She hadn’t died as he had thought. She’d lived an entire winter in the Yukon. She’d carried his child—alone. Given birth—again alone.
He had no way of knowing if the baby was a boy or a girl, or even if it had lived. The uncertainty threatened his sanity. He had always considered himself a strong, soundminded man, but now he questioned that.
He tried to pray, but he felt there was a wall between him and God. Why did God seem so far away? Peter had given his trust to Him—claimed Jesus for his Savior. So why did it seem he was standing here alone?
A carnival-like atmosphere was going on outside the hotel, but Peter could barely muster the interest to pull back the drapes and see what was happening. Outside, the entire world seemed to have put on its Sunday best. Women wore ribbons and feathers and gowns more beautiful than he’d seen in some time. The men were equally bedecked in their finest suits or at least their cleanest jeans.
An audience had gathered around one man who was juggling while balancing on a unicycle. Not far from this group, another collection of folks were intrigued by an acrobatic act.
There were barkers calling out their wares. Everything from food to colorful banners declaring best wishes to Queen Victoria could be had for a price. Peter despaired of stepping into the madness in hopes of finding Grace. The crowd was growing by the minute, and it was barely past nine.
“Peter?” Miranda called out as she knocked on his door.
Peter found his sister dressed smartly in a red-and-green plaid skirt and white blouse. Her hair had been perfectly coifed and her face was bright with the radiance of a woman in love. She looked the epitome of a reserved and proper lady. Their parents would be proud to know her manners and upbringing had not been forgotten in the Yukon.
“Are you ready to venture out? There are all sorts of planned events—pie-eating contests, ax throwing, and races, to name a few. People are so happy at the new shipments of food and supplies that, whether the queen had a birthday or not, we’d no doubt have a party.”
Peter took up his jacket and pulled it on. “I’m nervous,” he admitted. “I’m terrified and excited all at the same time. I’ve never felt so lost.”
Miranda cocked her head to one side and looked at him rather quizzically. “Lost in what way?”
“I tried all night to pray—to seek guidance so that today I might do exactly the right thing. But I feel as if God isn’t listening. I just feel … alone.”
“Oh, Peter, I know how you feel. I went through that myself when I woke up at Teddy’s cabin. There I was, with a man who hardly even knew I existed and an old Indian woman who barely spoke my language. I prayed and nothing seemed to make sense. But just when things seemed as lost and hopeless as they could be—God always sent me a sign.”
“What kind of sign?”
“It all depended on the situation,” Miranda admitted. “But when I felt my lowest—when I gave up and left it in God’s hands—things were accomplished.”
“So you’re telling me to do nothing?”
“Not at all,” Miranda said, reaching up to touch Peter lovingly. “I’m saying commit it to the Lord, and be assured that He hears you. Sometimes His ways are obscured and foreign to us—but it doesn’t mean He isn’t there. It doesn’t mean He isn’t listening.”
“I know you’re right. I feel like I have nothing left to give.”
Miranda nodded. “When you get to the place where Jesus is all you have,” she said with a smile, “you’ll find that Jesus is all you need.”
Peter pondered her words as they made their way out into the streets. Teddy waited for them at the entryway of the hotel. He beamed Miranda a smile, warming Peter’s heart. At least Miranda was happy. He could see that. He couldn’t have picked a better mate for her than she’d chosen for herself.
The crowd grew, and by noon Peter was convinced that no fewer than twenty thousand people had flooded the muddy streets. He had asked what seemed like ten thousand of that number if they knew of his wife, but no one seemed to have a clue about the dark-eyed beauty.
“Any news?” Miranda asked, coming with Teddy from across the street.
“No. No one knows her.”
“We’ve not had any better time of it,” Miranda said. She came to stand beside Peter while Teddy excused himself to go back to the hotel.
“I’ll rejoin you both in about an hour,” he told them. “I have an appointment that is of great importance.”
Miranda waited until he’d gone before turning to Peter. “He’s considering selling the hotel. He’s been talking to some of his friends, and they believe the new finds of gold in Nome are going to send most of the people west. They worry that Dawson will dwindle back to no
thing.”
“Where will you go, then?”
Miranda shrugged. “I don’t know. We still have work to do in this area. Teddy’s entire focus for the past few years has been to compile this book on the plant life of Canada. He’s rearranged his thinking, however, and now he seems more inclined to consider other possibilities.”
“Such as?” Peter asked, as a man jostled him from behind. “Hey there, buddy,” Peter said, turning to suggest the man go elsewhere with his rowdiness.
“I said you’re a liar,” the man called out, ignoring Peter. He turned away from Peter to throw a punch.
Peter quickly grabbed hold of his arm. “I’d appreciate it if you did your fighting elsewhere.”
“That’s it, mister, hold him for me,” another man called out, rushing them.
Peter was appalled to see that Miranda stood directly in the line of fire, and rather than concern himself with the man he held, Peter threw himself in front of his sister and took a blow full on the mouth.
Blood spurted out of Peter’s mouth, along with a tooth. He reached up in agony as Miranda screamed. The two men, seeing they’d caused a fuss that clearly couldn’t benefit them, slipped into the crowd and were gone before Peter could gather his wits.
“Peter, are you all right?”
“I have a horrible pain in my jaw. I think that ninny loosened up every tooth in my mouth.”
“Say there, son, I’m a dentist. Why don’t you come with me? My office is just a couple of blocks away,” a man urged, taking Peter’s elbow.
“Yes,” Miranda encouraged. “Let’s go with him, Peter.”
Peter reluctantly allowed himself to be led away. He could hardly think clearly, and his mouth hurt fiercely. A fire had started somewhere in his jaw and had traveled down his neck.
“Come on, right in here,” the man said, pointing Peter to his office. The man opened the door and motioned Peter to the dental chair.
“Just sit back and I’ll get some water and a bowl so we can rinse your mouth and see what’s what.”
The dentist moved quickly around the room, gathering what he needed. He offered Peter a glass of water and a bowl in which he could spit. Peter rinsed his bloody mouth several times, fearing each time that he would spit teeth out with the water.
Finally the dentist went to work. “Ah, it doesn’t look too bad. Knocked out one of the back molars and it’s bleeding a good bit. Loosened up the others, but they’ll firm up again when the swelling goes down and the tissue has a chance to heal.” He looked down at Peter. “I’m Dr. Brummel, by the way.”
“Peter Colton,” Peter managed to say when the dentist took his hands out of his mouth long enough to reach for a clean towel.
“Colton, eh? I know a couple of Coltons. Are you related to a Mrs. Grace Colton?”
Miranda dropped her handbag and stared at the man, while Peter came up out of the chair. “I’m her husband. I’m here looking for her.” His hand went to his mouth as pain shot through his jaw. “Do you know where she is?”
“Sit back down, son. You’re in no shape to go jumping around. I don’t know where Grace is now. She lived with us for a time after her son was born.”
“Son?” Dizziness overcame Peter as he sunk into the chair. “I have a son?”
“You sure do. Didn’t you know? Well, I guess the mail being what it is, a fellow can’t expect to hear anything in a timely manner. Yes, sir, you have a fine boy. She named him Andrew, but we all called him Andy.”
Peter didn’t even feel the procedure as the doctor continued to work him over. He had a son. “How long ago did Grace leave you?” Peter asked.
“Well, now, let me think. I believe it was March—might have been April. No, I’m thinking March. She met up with her friend—a right nice fellow name of Ivankov. He’d come to town to bring another friend of his to the hospital and then pick her and the baby up. It was still pretty cold, but they said something about only having a two-day trip by dog sled.”
“Two days?” Peter looked to Miranda. “Can we get a map and have Teddy help us draw a perimeter that would mark the distance of two days surrounding Dawson?”
“I know we could. Teddy would be happy to help. He knows the land around here very well. He’s already explored a good portion of it.”
Peter eased up out of the chair as Dr. Brummel concluded his treatment. “Come back in a week and let me take another look just to make sure everything is doing what it’s supposed to be doing.”
“What do I owe you?” Peter questioned.
“Not a thing,” Brummel replied. “Your wife was a joy to my household. My wife and I very much enjoyed her company and that of the baby.”
Peter squared his shoulders. He felt his hope return. God had given him the sign he so desperately needed. Looking to Miranda, he smiled, and she smiled in return. “Weeping may endure for a night,” he thought, remembering the scripture, “but joy cometh in the morning.”
Part Three
AUGUST 1899
I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
II TIMOTHY 4:7
—[CHAPTER TWENTY THREE]—
YUKON SUMMER WAS A SPLENDID thing to be certain, but Peter saw little in the way of the beauty around him. Desperation marred his vision as he traveled with Miranda and Teddy from one creek to another. There were gold mines staked out at hundreds, maybe thousands of locations along creeks and rivers too numerous for Peter to count.
They searched the banks of creeks called Bonanza, Eldorado, Skookum, Nugget, Too Much Gold, and All Gold. Back trails wound their way through defoliated lands where miners had made roughhewn cabins or pitched their tents.
They found men who were worn-out and ready to pack it in and men who were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. What they didn’t find was Grace or any sign of the Ivankov party.
“They have to be close,” Miranda told her brother. She was trying desperately to keep up his spirits. “We’ve already checked so many different camps, I’m sure we’ll find them soon. Teddy says there’s a lot of activity on Hunker Creek. We can head there after returning to Dawson for more supplies.”
“I’m beginning to think we’ve made a mistake in searching. Maybe it would have been better to just stay in town and wait for them to come to us. After all, everyone needs fresh supplies from time to time,” Peter said, his tone dejected.
“Perhaps, but we’ve already talked to most of the storekeepers, and they allowed us to put up those flyers you suggested. If any of the party should venture into Dawson, they’re certain to spy one of them.”
“Maybe, but I just feel like I’m wasting my time out here,” Peter said, kicking the dirt. “I’m not finding what I’m searching for any more than most of the rest of those men out there.”
“They may never find what they’re looking for, Peter, but I feel confident that you will find Grace.”
Peter shook his head. “I can’t claim your confidence. I wish I could, but it’s been months. It’s August now. The bugs have been fierce. The nights have grown cold, the sun is waning to the south, and even though there are plenty of hours of light left each day, it’s clear that the weather will turn on us in the weeks to come.”
“But that’s weeks, Peter. You can’t give up.” She reached out to take hold of his arm. “God is still with you. He hasn’t left you to fend alone.”
Peter sat down on a rock. “I know that.” He stared off in the direction Teddy had gone only moments ago. “How long do you suppose Teddy will be gathering plants?”
“Not long,” Miranda said, coming to sit beside him. “Are you that anxious to get back on the trail?”
“I’m anxious to be at the end of the trail. I’m anxious to be done with the search.”
Adrik had never seen Gump happier. The gold was proving itself with every new dig into the earth. The panning hadn’t been nearly as productive, although it had yielded a little gold flake now and then.
No, it had taken the rigged-up steam contraption and thawing of the land to really find the gold. At first, it had taken hours of backbreaking work— steaming, digging, hauling, and then sluicing and sorting— all to find a bit of gold now and then. But finally the gold was coming in more readily than it had before and Gump declared them all rich as kings.
The only problem was that strange things continued to happen around the camp. From time to time Leah or Grace would mention seeing someone darting in and out of the trees just to the back of their camp. Sometimes Adrik would go outside and find the cache door open and the dogs barking up a storm. Other times he would find something else amiss. But always there were footprints in the dirt to suggest the culprit wasn’t a four-legged beast.
Because of this, Adrik had taken to keeping a guard on duty twenty-four hours a day. Gump took guard duty during the day while Adrik and Jacob worked. Adrik then went to sleep right after supper and allowed Jacob to take the first watch. Then around two in the morning, Jacob would wake Adrik for his turn. Since posting the men, there had been little disturbance, and that was just how Adrik wanted to keep it—especially now that they had accumulated several thousand dollars in nuggets and gold dust.
“I’m going out,” Jacob said, checking the Winchester to make certain it was loaded.
“God be with you,” Adrik said, same as every night. “You’d better wear your jacket. Felt like the wind was going to shift. Wouldn’t be surprised if we were in for an early cold spell.”
Jacob nodded and grabbed his coat on the way out the door.
“Do you think we’ll have to continue standing watch until we leave?” Karen asked as she sat down at the table. She took up some mending and began working.
“I think it’s probably going to keep us on the safe side of things,” Adrik answered. He yawned and stretched. “Well, I think I’ll head to bed.” He got up, then crossed to where Karen sat.
She lifted her face and smiled. “I’ll be glad when all of this is behind us. I miss sharing a bed.”
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