by Joel Baker
They built their shelter next to a defile cut out by rushing water from prior storms. The defile should redirect rain water away from where they would seek safety. They had located the shelter on a small rise, below the crest of a large hill. They would be sheltered from the strongest winds.
The shelter itself was constructed in less than an hour by interlacing lodge poles into a circle roughly forty feet across. It was covered with overlapping buffalo hides, and raised by a center pole to about six feet in the middle. The horses were hobbled to turn their backs towards the storm. Everyone else crawled quickly under the dome and huddled as the storm raged over them.
****
The storm broke as the Colters brought the last of their horses into a large barn on the outskirts of the Lakota village. Nate found a kerosene lantern hanging on a nail. The lamp was dry. They found a small can of coal oil on the floor under the lamp. The wind and rain pelted the roof and walls of the barn. James and the others inspected the structure using the light from the lamp.
“Do you think this barn was from before the Go Back?” Molly asked.
“I don’t see how,” James said. “These beams are fairly new. You can smell the pine.”
Everyone admired the quality of the structure. Both solid and water tight, the barn was built with considerable care and skill. The beams were squared and pegged with great care. Whoever built this barn knew what they were doing.
“Look at those beams,” Dalton said, holding the lamp up in the air. “They have some serious craftsmanship here.”
There was a ladder attached to a post running from the floor to the peak of the barn. It was as well made as the rest of the barn. Dalton climbed the ladder as far as the hayloft. He held the lantern out examining the loft area. The shiny eyes of barn cats reflected in the light. The loft was half full of hay.
Dalton returned to the floor of the barn. The group sat in a big circle until the sound of the wind and rain subsided. They swung the barn doors open and watched as the storm retreated towards the east.
Since it was late afternoon, they decided to spend the night where they were. The barn had protected them from the storm and they felt a sense of comfort there. Fala and Nina built a fire for the stew and began fixing super for everyone.
The others decided to take a walk through the empty village. They walked down the street leading to the barn and stopped at the first intersecting street.
“This is amazing,” James said. “Does it remind you of some place, Molly?”
“Eagle Rock,” Molly said, without hesitation. “But Eagle Rock wasn’t deserted.”
“I know,” James said. “But look how well made all the houses are. They’re just sitting there along the streets waiting for the owners to come home.”
“Where do you think they got all those windows?” Dalton asked. “Look at the cedar shingles on the roofs.”
“There must be forty or fifty houses here,” Molly said.
The group went onto the porches of several of the homes and peered through the windows. Jessica left little clusters of picked flowers on several of the porches. Everything inside the cabins was neat as a pin and the furniture covered with large white sheets of cloth. They strolled down the rest of the streets looking in amazement at the homes. Several of the buildings were large warehouse type structures. They could be used for gatherings and storage of communal property.
All of the houses and buildings had stone fireplaces, and several cord of firewood split and stack against the houses. This was obviously well provisioned to last them through the coming winter. The group returned to the barn and their shared supper. No one was sure why, but they ate supper in silence.
The ground was still damp, so everyone sat in the open door of the barn on logs watching the cheerful fire burn down to coals. The air was chilled by the passing storm, and the air smelled fresh and clean. The setting sun lit the clouds on the eastern horizon and turned them gold. The sound of crickets grew, as the darkness thickened.
The group sat in silence watching the fire burn down. Dusk turned to dark and everyone turned in knowing they had to leave at first light. Nobody wanted to be anywhere near this town when the Lakota returned.
Chapter 10
The dogs disappeared in the darkness before the dawn. Jessica was the first to notice. She awoke and Max was gone. She searched for Max and then tried to summon him. For the first time she could remember, all she heard was silence. She ran to her mother, who was still asleep under a buffalo robe.
“Mommy, wake up!” Jessica said, obviously upset.
Shannon sat up rubbing her eyes, trying not to wake Dalton, who lay sleeping beside her. She looked around, getting her bearings. She saw it was first light.
“Jessica,” Shannon asked. “What are you doing up?”
“Max is gone and I can’t find him anywhere,” Jessica said. “He won’t even answer when I talk to him.”
Shannon looked up and closed her eyes. She reached out to Max and then Banner. Neither spoke to her.
“I’m sure they’re just off doing an errand,” Shannon said. “Maybe they went to find their friends. They live around here.”
Jessica looked at her with her bottom lip stuck out. She wasn’t happy and Shannon knew it. Shannon stood shivering, goose bumps on her skin. She started putting her clothes on.
“Look, Jessica,” Shannon said. “I’m sure they’ll be back in a little bit. Until then, why don’t you go get dressed? You can help me start a fire and cook some breakfast. How does that sound?”
“Something is wrong, mommy,” Jessica said. “Max promised me he would always protect me and be by my side. He shouldn’t have gone way.”
Shannon went over and knelt down by where Jessica stood.
“Jessica,” Shannon said. “You may be right. Something might have changed. If it did, there is nothing we can do about it right now. We’ve come a long way to where many dogs like Max and Banner live. They asked us to come here. We don’t know why, but they did.”
Jessica nodded her head.
“Wherever Max and the other dogs went,” Shannon said. “We’ll find out soon enough. But until then, I need to eat something, because I’m starving!”
“Okay, Mommy,” Jessica said, now smiling. “Let’s get something to eat for you and my new little brother.”
Jessica turned and ran towards where her clothes hung on a bush so she could get dressed. Shannon stood watching her daughter, wondering how in the world Jessica knew she was expecting. She figured it must have been Max who spilled the beans.
“Stupid Max,” Shannon muttered to herself. “He swore he would keep it a secret.”
“Who were you talking to just now?” Dalton asked, starting to come awake.
“Jessica,” Shannon said. “She’s all concerned about Max being gone when she woke up this morning.”
Shannon heard Dalton groan and sit up. He rubbed his eyes.
“What were you saying about keeping a secret?” Dalton asked, still half asleep.
“Nothing,” Shannon said, then having second thoughts. “Dalton, sweetheart, maybe you better wake up. I think it’s time for us to have a little chat.”
****
“Someone left flowers on your porch?” Mato asked. “Who does that?”
The Lakota had reached their village shortly after lunch. It looked intact, but further investigation showed that there had been two sets of visitors while they were gone. The signs they left behind were clear. Some of the visitors were large groups of dogs who came periodically, and stayed only for a day or two before moving on. It looked as if they slept on porches of the houses whenever they visited the village. These prints were old.
Other recent prints showed the group from the south had made a stop in the Lakota village as well. All the signs showed that the people slept in the barn for a night. The next morning the people and their dogs proceeded through the village. Someone had left wildflowers on several of the porches.
Nothing appear
ed disturbed and the builders made sure their tools were where they hid them and undisturbed.
“I assume it was the people we ran across earlier,” Cass said. “They and their dogs stayed one night and then headed northwest toward the land of the dogs.”
“Was there any damage to the houses?” Mato asked.
“Only some wind damage that happened while we were gone,” Cass said. “Other than that, no damage we can see. The people who came through here did have a fire pit up in front of the barn. They made sure it was out before they left.”
“What is going on?” Mato asked, looking confused. “Anyone going into the land of the dogs is committing suicide. They’re either crazy or they must know something we don’t.”
“I’d bet they know something we don’t,” Cass said. “Either way, there’s nothing we can do about it now. Let’s get this buffalo meat divided up among all the families. People are going to be looking for supper in a few hours.”
The hunters of the Lakota trailed the buffalo until they disappeared into the pine covered hills where the herd would spend the winter. The thick cover of pine and aspen trees on the surrounding hills offered the buffalo protection against the arctic blasts that would howl across the prairies and plains in just a few months.
The hunters would camp near the buffalo throughout the winter. They lived in a number of hunting cabins constructed in the forests by the Lakota builders for that purpose. The hunters took turns manning the cabins and providing meat for the village throughout the winter. That way they would occasionally be able to enjoy the warm hearth of their homes, and beds of their wives, through the long dark nights of the snow and cold.
But the snow and cold were still months away. The gatherers needed to forage the area for plants to supplement their diet during the long, cold days of winter. Mainly women of the village were the gatherers. But they also included children over eight and older members of the tribe. It took time and patience to become a productive gatherer. It was an honored role in the tribe.
Asha was Matos mother. She was charged with training the children to gather. It was something she enjoyed doing and had done for many years. It would be a challenge this year to gather enough food to last the winter. The need to follow the buffalo had greatly reduced the time available for them to gather and store what they would need. They would start first thing tomorrow.
****
The Colters rode single file through the only area wide enough for them to easily pull the travois behind the horses. It appeared to be either a dirt road or firebreak from before the Go Back. For the first time any of them could remember, they were forced to navigate without the dogs. They had not heard from Max or Banner since the night before.
Shannon and Matthew both felt deaf and blind. There were short periods of time when the dogs would be inaccessible. It was never this long of a time span and they were feeling stressed. Jessica was even worse. In her seven years, Jessica could not remember a time Max wasn’t there for her. She constantly turned in her saddle, looking about for Max to appear. Three year old Jason was quiet and still, riding in front of his mother. He knew something was wrong, but didn’t know exactly what it was. When Shannon asked him how he felt, he told her he just felt icky.
The group broke into a clearing in the forest and decided to rest for a while. There was a warm breeze, smelling of pine, blowing through the trees. It would be hot by the end of the day, but right now the breezes were cool and refreshing.
“Look,” Shannon said, pointing off in the distance. “There are the stone faces the dogs were talking about.”
Everyone looked in the direction Shannon was pointing. Even from this distance they knew the carved heads had to be huge. They knew all four carvings were supposed to be of past presidents from before the Go Back.
“I think the one on the far left is George Washington,” James said. “I think the one on the far right is Lincoln. I have no idea who the middle two are. Does anybody recognize them?”
“Not from this distance,” Molly said. “Maybe when we get up closer we’ll recognize them.”
“It’s been a long time since we learned about the presidents back in Haven,” James said.
“I never learned about all that Pre-Go Back stuff,” Dalton said. “I can read a map and a few other words. That’s about it. Jessica reads to me, and that’s a good thing.”
“Daddy,” Jessica said. “You can read if you want to. You used to correct me, if I read something wrong.”
“Those were See Dick run books,” Dalton said. “Someday I’d like to read a real book. Maybe read a book about the presidents.”
“Don’t look now,” Molly said in a whisper. “We’ve got company.”
The dogs stood shoulder to shoulder surrounding the clearing where the Colters stood. Max and Banner stepped forward, as Jessica laughed and clapped her hands.
“Max said he missed me,” Jessica said, smiling a huge grin.
“I’m going to talk to Banner,” Shannon said to the others. “I’ll be right back.”
Well, we made it, Shannon said.
Yes, Banner said.
What happens now? Shannon asked.
It will become cold in a short time, Banner said. There are buildings that you may want to use. They are not far from here. We think they were built a long time ago. The buffalo have returned. We can show you where tomorrow.
Who are all these dogs? Shannon asked, looking at the large circle of dogs surrounding them.
The packs that we have formed, Banner said. They are here because of you.
Why? Shannon asked, looking confused. Why did you even ask us to come here? How is that important to the dog people?
We will talk later, Banner said. Follow me, and I will guide you to the buildings.
Shannon turned to tell the others what Banner had said. As silently as they came, all the dogs disappeared from the circle. Shannon told the others about the buildings, and they all mounted and followed Banner in the direction of the mountain with the heads.
****
Asha sat with the circle of young gatherers in front of her. She wasn’t old, but she wasn’t young anymore either. Almost all of the gatherers were old friends or the children of friends. She would teach the young ones this morning, and team them up with the older gatherers tomorrow. She held her hands in the air to quiet the young ones.
“Thank you all for turning out,” Asha said. “We have much to do and very little time. We need to plan on a killing frost within a month. That leaves little time for us to gather what we need for the winter. Are there any questions before we get started?”
Asha looked over the group before her. She saw Mitchell had his hand in the air, and ignored him. When they were teenagers together, Mitchell and Asha had been friends and companions. They played the same games the other teenagers played with each other, learning and exploring.
But then Matos father showed up with a string of horses and a wish to marry her. Mitchell had been mooning over her ever since. Once she was widowed, Mitchell saw it as a chance for him. He’d become even more persistent.
“No questions,” Asha said. “That’s good. Except for the young ones, everyone split up and began foraging. We’ll meet back here when the sun touches that mountain. I’ll take the youngsters toward the river and see what we can find.”
Asha looked over the youngsters. They were between eight and ten years old. Some seemed less excited than others to be there. Asha figured their mothers had sent them over for training simply to get some peace and quiet. She watched Mitchell hang around the fringe of the group hoping for a chance to speak to her. He finally gave up and headed out with the others.
There’s no fool, like an old fool, Asha thought, as she watched Mitchell walking away. Then she smiled an inner smile. She remembered what it had been like to be young. The feel of warm sunlight on your unturned face as it filtered through the canopy of trees and the warm earthy smell of leaves carpeting the forest floor. Those really were w
onderful times, she thought. They really didn’t seem that long ago either.
Chapter 11
James, Dalton, and Molly stood before what once was a visitor center. Banner sat off to one side waiting to see what the Colters would do.
“This is it?” Molly asked, looking around.
James walked up to the two massive doors lying on the ground in front of the entrance. He leaned through the doorway. At some time in the past the roof had collapsed. Probably due to the weight of a winter’s snow and ice. The rubble was primarily piled in the center of the large room.
“Come take a look at this,” James said, pointing to the far end of the Center.
Molly and Dalton walked up to the entrance and stepped through the doorway. They walked into the rubble littering the floor. At the far end of the room stood a massive stone fireplace. The stone chimney still supported part of the roof. Three leather chairs covered with dust, sat in front of the hearth of the fireplace.
The walls of the Center were of concrete brick and seemed solid enough. All but two of the windows were still intact. The panes were made of thick, shatter proof glass.
“What do you think?” Molly asked.
“If we clean this place up,” Dalton said. “This could get us through the winter.”
“It’s certainly big enough,” Molly said. “Does anyone else think that not having a roof could be an issue?”
“I think we can span the room with a single beam,” Dalton said. “Then run rafters to support a roof. We could reuse a lot of the metal roofing material here on the floor.”
“Did we bring the tools for that?” Molly asked.
“We have axes, adzes, and at least one crosscut saw,” Dalton said. “We dragged them all this way. We might as well use them.”
“At least we’re in the middle of a pine forest.” Molly said.
