by Jack L Knapp
“Any idea of what happened back there?”
“I couldn’t hear much, Matt. When they spotted me they got quiet. I don’t think we’ve heard the last of them.”
“Well, maybe they’ll settle down. We need them to stay with us, but if they get to be a serious problem we’ll cut them loose. I’ll talk to Robert about it.”
He reluctantly agreed with me. We would wait and watch, but in the meantime we still needed to make as many miles as we could.
The weather had begun to warm but nights were still below freezing. The sun often warmed enough during the day now that we could pack our parkas on the sleds.
The snow pack grew thinner and became patchy in places. No plants were greening up but the trees showed buds; it wouldn’t be much longer before spring arrived.
We crossed a large river without problems; it was still frozen, and other than slight difficulty pulling the sleds up the bank on the far side, the crossing was routine.
Two weeks later Lee came back with news. He’d been scouting ahead and he looked for Robert and me when he came back to camp.
“Matt, there’s a river ahead. It’s not very deep and the ice is thinner than what we’ve been crossing. People can walk on it, but I’m not sure it will support a sled. There are even places on the opposite side that are snow-free. It’s muddy, but you can see the ground. Suppose we off-load the sleds and pack everything across? We might abandon the sleds anyway if there’s no snow, especially if they start sticking in the mud.
“It’ll be more work, but travois will do the same job the sleds did, Lee. Each travois will carry the possessions of the person dragging it and more. We may eventually switch to backpacks, but for now a travois can carry more with less effort. The furs are heavy…if the weather continues to warm, we might just abandon some of them. We could reduce the loads by dumping half the skins; the weather’s warmer now, but we could still get hit with a late cold snap so we should keep some furs just in case. It’s something to think about.
“But we already have less food to carry, so distributing what we’ve got won’t add much weight to anyone’s load. Hauling food and other supplies will end up weighing about what the sleeping furs weighed, and people can easily haul that much on a travois.”
#
We decided to have a camp-wide discussion, share our thoughts with the others.
Robert, Lilia, Lee and I formed a kind of leadership council, but we were in no position to make decisions for everyone. We had come up with a number of options to consider.
Robert opened the discussion. “Here’s the problem. We need to cross the river and Lee doesn’t believe the ice will support the weight of a loaded sled.
“One option is to set up camp here and send out hunting parties. The weather is warming every day, so the snow will soon be gone. There might be game animals just south of here. The hunters can spread out in groups of two or three and look for something we can eat.
“We can find rushes or cattails along the river, so we’ll want people to begin gathering food. The roots and seed heads can be added to our supply.
“Meantime, one of the hunting parties will look for a better crossing downriver and another party will look upriver. We might even catch fish in the river, maybe with lines and hooks or by setting up a weir to trap fish.
“The hunters stay out no more than three days. If they haven’t found anything, we backpack everything across the river. We’ve got enough ropes for a safety line and hopefully the ice will still be there, but we will have to take some chances. Getting across is likely to take most of a day, what with packing everything and carrying the kids. We’ll set up a temporary camp on the far side, then begin moving west the next day.”
The decision was finalized after a short discussion. Camp would be established here and the various parties would set out. Michel and Philippe would go upstream and look for a better place to cross. Gregor and Vlad volunteered to cross the thin ice directly ahead and hunt there.
Pavel and I would go downstream and look for a better crossing while keeping our eyes peeled for game.
Not good choices, but we had no time to wait for better ones.
#
Robert was working in camp the third day when Pavel and Gregor came in. He looked up as they hurried over.
“Robert, we lost Matt.”
“What do you mean, you lost him? If you left him out there…”
“I mean he’s dead, he’s got to be. We had crossed on the ice and were looking for tracks along the edge of the river. The ice had melted near the bank, but it was still thick out toward the center. Anyway, the bank was muddy and Matt slipped. I tried to hold him but I could only get a grip on his parka.”
Gregor spoke up, “I tried to help too. I grabbed him by the belt, this one,” and he held up the belt holding Matt’s trusted axe and knife, “But it came loose.”
“I was holding onto his parka, but Matt had opened it because it was warm, and when the belt came loose he just slipped out of the parka.
“We tried to find him, but after he went into the river we couldn’t see anything. Vlad stayed behind to see if he could find his body, but I thought we should come in and tell you what happened.”
Robert was shocked. Lilia had come up during the last of the conversation and Lee was only a step behind her. Pavel had finished his report to Robert while glancing aside at Lilia. Now he looked down to admire Matt’s parka that he was holding.
“It’s too bad about Matt, but it could have happened to anyone. Still, now that he’s gone, this is a nicer parka than the one I’ve been wearing. That wolf fur hood looks warm.”
Lee answered, “You wouldn’t like it, Pavel. The arrow holes wouldn’t suit you.”
“What arrow holes? I don’t see any holes!”
“That’s because I haven’t put them there yet. But as soon as you put Matt’s parka on, I’ll put a couple of holes in it.”
Lilia spoke up. “That goes for Matt’s weapons, too. We’ll take those. I won’t believe he’s dead until I’ve seen the body.”
Pavel glowered, but he handed over the parka and weapons belt.
Robert slowly spoke. “Lilia, I understand how you feel. But we’ve got a tribe to get across that river, and no time left. We’re going to have to pack everything across while we still can.
“We’ll break up the sled loads and just carry everything. I’d like to look for Matt’s body too, but we can’t spare the time and everyone’s going to have to help carry stuff. No, we cross now; if Matt was sucked under the ice, he’s dead. The rest of us have to go on.”
Lilia nodded. “I understand, Robert. When do you want to cross?”
“As soon as possible, and we’ll make the crossing here. No one found a better place, and if the rest of that ice breaks up, we’ll be stuck here using supplies we can’t spare. We’ll break the sled loads down, make up packs that people can carry. Roll up the furs we intend to keep, then carry them over a shoulder. When we get half the furs we want to keep across, we’ll take the food. After that, we come back for the rest of the furs and whatever else is still here. I’ll look at the ground over there and decide whether it’s worthwhile to come back for the sleds. We move on ahead for a few days, then send the hunting parties out again. Maybe they’ll find something.
Robert paused, and swallowed. “If Matt...survived, that’ll give him time to maybe catch up to us. But if he slipped under the ice like they said, he’s drowned. Still, it’s hard to accept that Matt’s gone.”
Lilia nodded in understanding and spared only a moment to look at Pavel and Gregor as they headed toward the rest of their group. She noticed that Vlad had come in and had joined his friends.
It was a puzzle.
How had the three of them gotten together? Pavel had been with Matt downstream, while the other two were supposed to have crossed directly ahead. It was all very strange. And how could Matt’s belt have come loose? There had been no damage to the belt.
She spare
d a moment to look downstream. Poor Matt. To have done so much and then to have died in an accident while looking for a place to cross a river!
Well, he would have been proud. He had died working to help the tribe. She turned and headed for the sleds.
There was work to do; they could mourn Matt later.
Epilogue
Pavel was standing near the front of the column when Lee approached.
“Pavel, Get food from the kitchen and head out; I want you guarding the left flank, so move off to where you can watch as we leave. Stay off to the left, watch for danger, and if you see tracks let me know. If there are tracks, then the animals are moving back and we really need fresh food. We’ll send out hunting parties as soon as it’s worthwhile.”
“Do it yourself, kid. I’m busy with my group this morning, then I plan on looking in your group this afternoon. I won’t have time to wander around in the woods.”
Robert had come up while this was going on. He watched, waiting to see how Lee would handle himself.
“Pavel, you were told before; do what you’re told, work for the whole group, or take your personal stuff and hit the trail. You can go anywhere except where we are. That’s still the only offer you’ve got; you’re flank guard or you’re out. We’ll leave without you.”
“Suppose we just keep up with the rest of you. We’ve been doing that and we can keep on doing it.”
“Not you, Pavel. I’ll lay it out in a way that even you can’t misunderstand. We’ll go on, you won’t. If that means we leave you dead by the trail, so be it.”
While speaking, Lee had unslung the spear that always hung across his back now. The long, sharp blade pointed between Pavel’s eyes from less than a foot away. Pavel turned pale and took a step back.
“You would kill me because I won’t pull your guard duty?”
“No. I’ll kill you because you’re eating our food and not doing your share.”
Robert spoke up. “Pavel, are you leaving the tribe?”
“No, Robert. I’ll do the guard shift if that’s what you want. But this kid has no right to be giving orders! I’ve been part of the tribe a lot longer than he has, so why is he in charge?”
“Pavel, he’s in charge because I trust his judgment. Matt and I delegated that authority to him. It’s his until I decide it should go to someone better qualified. And I don’t know anyone who’s better qualified.” When he said this, Robert looked squarely at Pavel.
Pavel stomped away and took up his post. Robert organized the train into family groups and soon had them moving.
Travel now would be slower by necessity; everything moved now by travois or backpack. But at least they were far enough from the mine that any danger from there had passed.
Robert missed Matt. It was not easily explained, but the man had exuded confidence. You simply knew that whatever came up, Matt would deal with it. It was hard to believe he was dead.
Briefly, Robert wondered how Gregor and Vlad had found Matt and Pavel. Coincidence? Well, perhaps they had all used the same location to cross the river.
#
Pavel came into camp late and decided to look in on the women of Matt’s group. They now cooked for themselves, rather than sharing the communal kitchen; perhaps they had treats hidden away?
“Pavel, you should be over at the kitchen. They’ll be shutting down shortly and if you don’t eat now, you won’t get anything before morning,” Lilia said.
“I came over to get to know you ladies better. We need to work together now, right? So I thought I’d have my dinner with you. What are you making?”
“Whatever we’re making, there’s only enough for us. We’re taking our meals with family members only.”
“Still, there are four of you women; you’ll need men around, especially if there’s danger.”
Pavel felt a sudden cold feeling alongside his ear. He reached up absently to brush it away…a bit of snow, fallen from the tree perhaps…but froze when he felt the sharp tip.
“I wouldn’t turn my head just now if I were you, Pavel. Sandra’s pretty good with that spear. And if she doesn’t stick you, Millie’s waiting for her chance.”
Millie was holding her own spear, relaxed, the shaft held across her body but ready for instant use.
“I’ll go, I’ll go! There’s no need for threats! I was just trying to be helpful, like.”
“We don’t want your help. You might remember that, because next time the lesson will be more pointed. The kitchen is right over there,” Lilia said and pointed. Her expression might have been amused; Pavel didn’t find it funny at all.
After they finished the meal, Lilia spoke to Lee.
“I’m not satisfied with Pavel’s story. Matt somehow lost his parka and weapons while he was slipping on the muddy bank? And what happened to his bow? He had a backpack too and there was a quiver of arrows. What happened to those? How could Matt lose his parka when he was wearing a belt and quiver strap over it? If he had taken them off, there’s no reason why Pavel and Gregor shouldn’t have brought them back too. And why were Gregor and Vlad even there? They should have been a mile or two upstream from Matt and Pavel.
“Their story is too pat; I think they surprised Matt and killed him. I can follow their tracks, there were three of them and they have about as much regard for hiding a trail as a mammoth! I’ll look around for a while, but if I can’t find Matt’s body, I’ll turn back. I don’t like the thought of him just lying alongside the river someplace, no one to even look for his body.
“I can move faster than the group, so catching up won’t be a problem. You explain it to Robert tomorrow; I’m leaving after dark, and I’ll be back in a week or so.”
#
The cold woke him. He was lying on a sandbar, where he’d washed up and been left as the water receded. He was shivering, wet, and his right eye was glued shut.
He pawed at the eye, trying to open the eyelid. Finally he washed his face and in the process found a large bump over his eye. He had no idea where that had come from.
Washing removed the crusted blood and he got the eye open, but now he saw two images of the small tree that leaned over the bank. Blearily, he closed the eye again and that felt a little better.
He had a severe headache and the lump was sore, but at least it was no longer bleeding.
Muddy, shivering, he crawled away from the sandbar and found a pile of grass. Blown flat during the winter, left ashore when the river’s spring flood receded, it now lay, slowly decaying, on the river’s bank. He crawled into the drift and pulled the grass around him.
He needed fire, he knew that much, but the grasses would help him stay warm for now. He pulled handfuls and stuffed them in his shirt. They prickled, but he added more. Presently the shivering stopped.
He found the small pouch of materials at his waist and opened it; there was a roll of string, a small flint knife, a scrap of steel. The tinder was wet, useless, but he could find more.
He pulled more of the grass around him, making a pile of it. Judging finally that he had enough, he pulled off his wet clothes and wrung them out as best he could. Naked, he crawled into the pile and burrowed in until he began to feel warmer.
He was hungry, cold, and exhausted, but no longer shivering. It took only moments for him to fall asleep.
He had a strange dream before he woke. A man stood before him in his dream and said, “Your name is Matt.”
Continued in Darwin’s World II: The Trek
The Trek, an Excerpt:
Chapter 1
Lilia walked slowly through the camp.
It had been laid out with sleeping sites in two parallel rows on each side of the row of sleds. The kitchen, now deserted, was in the middle between the rows. Families with children occupied the sites immediately before and after the kitchen. Others had taken sites close to friends.
There had been little socializing this evening. Pavel’s news had spread quickly and the tribe had discussed it briefly among themselves. After that,
conversation lagged and everyone bedded down early. There was a lot of work to be done tomorrow and they would need to be rested. Friends died, the rest had to move on with their lives.
Lilia waited at the edge of camp for the sentries to pass. They circled the small camp every half hour or so, and she didn’t want to attract attention. Lee and the others from her camp already knew she was going and the rest would find out soon enough; she intended to be well on her way before that happened.
Most of the snow had melted. The ground was slippery where the sleds had passed, so she moved away from the tracks, remaining close to the trail but not walking on the disturbed ground.
Even so, the ground beside the tracks was also muddy and she slipped a number of times. Finally, she gave up and picked a tree to climb. She would spend the night in the tree and go on in the morning. It was unlikely that anyone would miss her immediately. Robert might ask, but since she routinely made the rounds from camp to guards to kitchen to help as needed, it would probably take some time before he noticed.
In any case, the rest of the tribe would be occupied packing and moving on. There would be travois to build and no one would have time to look for her.
She unstrung her bow and slung it across her back with the quiver as she climbed the tree. A large branch projected from the trunk some twenty feet up, and there were limbs extending from the branch that would provide a place for her to lie back in relative comfort.
A safety rope attached her loosely to the main branch and she settled down to sleep. She was wrapped in her parka against the chill and had pulled up the hood to cover her head. Her bow and quiver lay beside her across two of the limbs and the small pack she’d been carrying cushioned her head. If the tree wasn’t as comfortable as her sleeping furs back at camp, well…she’d slept in more uncomfortable places. She ate a piece of jerky on a slice of bread and drank from her water gourd before falling asleep.
She woke up once during the night. Something moved through the forest below; the animals were moving back north. She thought it was a deer, but it might have been something else. She had nothing to fear from it, whatever it was, and she was soon asleep again.
