[Canadian West 02] - When Comes the Spring (32 page)

But Wynn stopped him.

"We'll all band together to look after them. They're hardy people.
They'll make it."

There was silence for a few minutes. Mr. McLain broke it. "What
about supplies for the two of you? What do you have here?"

Wynn shook his head. "Not enough for a whole village, that's for
sure. We'll have to ration very carefully to get through until spring."

McLain nodded. "Right-that's a good idea," he said a little wistfully. "Don't be divying out what little you have. That way it won't do
anyone any good. Someone has to stay healthy and on his feet, and
seems to me you're elected, Sarge."

The full impact of our situation began to hit me. Oh, Goa I prayed
silently, please don't let it come to the place where I have to turn hungry
people away from my door. I would rather give away my last crumb offood
and suffer with them. Was McLain right? Would things become so desperate that we would be forced to withold our own in order to have
the strength to minister to the community's needs? I prayed not.

"Well, I think the first thing that needs to be done is a little survey," Wynn said. "We'll go through the village family by family and
find out what the situation is. I'll get you a little book, McLain, if you
are up to coming with me; and you can record as we go along."

McLain nodded and rose to his feet, reaching for his heavy, sootcovered coat and his beaver hat, and prepared to follow Wynn.

Wynn turned to me then. "I would like you to do the same here,
Elizabeth, as you find time. It's important to know exactly what we
have to work with."

I nodded. It all seemed so serious.

After the menfolk had left, I turned to Nimmie and Katherine.
"Why don't you try to get a little sleep?" I asked them. "You both really
look all in."

"I'll help you with your inventory," offered Nimmie.

"No. No-it won't take me long. There really isn't that much to
count. You get some rest."

Nimmie was still hesitant, but I insisted. Finally she was persuaded,
and she and Katherine went to our bedroom, removed their soiled
outer garments and soon were fast asleep.

I did up the dishes and straightened the small room again; and
then, notebook and pencil in hand, I began to do as Wynn had suggested.

I counted everything-each cupful of flour, each tablespoon of tea.
I sorted and counted every can of tinned food. I measured the salt and
the sugar, the coffee, and the beans and rice. Every bit of my kitchen
supply and then my storeroom was measured and recorded.

At first it seemed to me to be quite a lot; and then I began to think
of the number of days until the supplies could be replenished, and I
realized it was not very much. Mr. McLain was right. We were going
to be awfully short of food supplies before this winter was over.

With a sinking heart, I returned to the kitchen. It would take very
careful planning to make things stretch.

Now late afternoon, Wynn and Mr. McLain had been gone for a
number of hours. I looked out the window nervously, willing them to
return.

Nimmie came out of the bedroom looking rested. "Elizabeth," she
said, "may I borrow your snowshoes?"

"Of course, but are you sure you are ready-?"

"I'm ready," she said with a soft smile. "I will even welcome the
exercise and the healing of nature's breath."

"They are right outside the door," I told her. I could use some of
nature's restoring breath myself, I noted in understanding.

Wynn and Mr. McLain returned before Nimmie. They did not
have good news. The tabulation of food in the village was listed on two
short pages. The Indians had come to rely more and more heavily on
the trading post and did not store food ahead except for the roots and
herbs they carried in and the berries they dried. By now, these too were
in short supply.

The future looked even more bleak than it had before the survey.
Lord, please send an early spring.

When it was dark and Nimmie had still not returned, I was
becoming concerned. I didn't like to mention my fear because I knew
Mr. McLain and Wynn already had enough on their minds. Stealthily
I watched out the window. I wished I had suggested she take Kip with
her.

Mr. McLain stopped what he was saying to Wynn in midsentence
and turned to me. "If you are worried about Nimmie," he said, having
caught me glancing out of the window again, "don't be. Nimmie is as
at home in those woods as she was in her kitchen. Whether it's dark or
light, Nimmie is in no danger."

I flushed slightly. "I do wish she'd come," I said rather apologetically.

Katherine came from the bedroom, also looking much better after
her nap.

"I've nearly slept the day away," she confessed. "I'm sorry. I meant
to be up to help you much sooner, but I just didn't wake up. You
should have called me."

"I didn't have anything I needed help with," I assured her. "And,
besides, you needed the sleep."

We prepared a meal. Katherine set out the plates and cutlery on
the table. Because our table was small and we had only two chairs, we
would fill our plates and sit about the room.

We were almost ready to eat when we heard Nimmie. I heaved a
sigh of relief. When we opened the door to her, she entered the room
almost hidden under spruce branches. How she had ever managed to
load herself down so was beyond me. She smiled out from under the
load, and Mr. McLain helped her to lay aside her bundles.

We ate together and then Nimmie disappeared again. When she
returned, she had managed to get some furs from somewhere. With
these at hand, she began to make a bed at one end of the room Wynn
used for his office.

Wynn led our little group in prayer, and we all retired early. It had
been a long, exhausting day, and there didn't seem to be anything more
we could do to improve the situation at present. We would have to
take our future one day at a time.

During the next few days, Wynn called for a meeting of all the
people. They gathered together in front of the pile of rubble that had
so recently been the source for the lifeblood of the settlement, anxious
eyes surveying the pile of debris. Even the litter, as it had been poked
and raked following the fire, had brought forth very little of use in the
settlement.

Wynn stood before the people and spoke to them in their language.
Nimmie, standing beside me with her head held high, whispered the
translation.

"We meet together because we are one. We must care for one
another. We have lost the trading post and the food it supplied. Now
we must find our own way. It is not a new way. It has been done for
many moons by our fathers. But it is a hard way. It will take us all
working together.

"You have some flour and salt for bannock. You should watch your
supply closely and use only a little every day. It can last for many days
if you use it sparingly.

"We have the forests and the streams. They will not forsake us.
They have meat for the taking. We will hunt together and share what
we find.

"We have plants that can be gathered from under the snow. You
know them well. We will send out groups to gather them. Those who
stay behind will care for the fires.

"We have traps and snares if we run out of ammunition for our
guns, so we will not starve.

"We have medicines if we become sick, so do not be afraid.

"And, most importantly, we have a God who sees us and knows that we are in need. He has promised to care for His children.

"We will live, and we will make it to the time of the flowing of the
rivers, and the stirring of the new leaf upon the tree and the gathering
of the wild greens."

I felt like we all should have cheered such a speech; but when
Wynn had finished speaking, the people of the village filed awaysilently. Yet their shoulders had lifted a little and the look of despair
upon their faces had been replaced with silent acceptance and even a
glimmer of hope.

Now Wynn was hardly ever home. He organized hunting parties,
carefully distributing counted shells to the sharpest marksmen. He sent
out fishing parties to cut holes in the ice and spend silent, long, cold
hours at the task of bringing home fish. He sent older women, bundled
against the cold, into the forests with baskets to dig for edibles among
the roots of trees, while the younger women were assigned neighbor's
fires to tend besides their own. Children took on new responsibilities
as baby tenders and firewood gatherers. All the village was called upon
to work together. Even the ones who were too old and feeble to be
actively engaged had a part. They stirred the pots and kept the home
fires fed while others were busy with their tasks.

A previously empty cabin was repaired sufficiently for the family
who had lost their home in the fire, and life in the village went on.

Some of the outlying trappers, who had seen the terrifying red glow
in the sky on the night of the fire, came home to check on family.
They stood with heads lowered as they realized what the disaster meant
to the entire population of the village. I think they too must have been
praying, in their own way, for an early spring.

Nimmie and I were alone a few days later. I knew she must be very
sorrowful about losing her lovely home with all the beautifiil handwork
from her past. She admitted that it "made her heart sore," but she was
able to smile in spite of it all.

"I still have Ian," she said with great feeling. "If I had lost him,
then all would have been lost."

I thought of Wynn, and I understood what Nimmie was saying.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," said Nimmie slowly. "Maybe
this was God's punishment for my sin."

I wanted to protest, but I wasn't sure what to say.

Nimmie went on. `And then I thought, `No, I think not.' You see,
I was a sinner long before I brought the knife to Crazy Mary. I understand something now that I didn't understand before. I did not become
sinful because I took in the knife, but rather I consented to take the
knife because I was sinful. Do you understand me, Elizabeth?"

I nodded slowly. I did understand and I agreed.

"I have been a sinner for a long time. I just did not know about it.
Oh, I knew that I had an unhappiness, a pain in my heart that twisted
at times and brought me grief and shame, but I didn't know why or
what it was.

"The pain is gone now. Even after the fire, I have peace. If God
had been punishing me, then I wouldn't feel Him with inc as I do
now, as I did as I watched the fire burn away everything that had ever
been mine. No, He was not punishing; but perhaps He is putting me
through the testing ritual to see if I am going to be strong."

I nodded again. It seemed that Nimmie had it all sorted out. Tears
filled my eyes. She was strong, our Nimmie.

"Ian. and I talked long last night," Nimmie paused. "We are going
to go away.

My mouth opened to protest and I reached a hand for her arm.

"We will be back," Nimmie informed me quickly. "We will be
back as soon as the crows are back. We will build the trading post again
as soon as wood can be hauled from the forest. And we will bring
supplies back to the people."

Relieved to hear that they would be back, I still didn't understand
why they felt they should go.

"Ian has much to do, to make plans for the new building," Nimmie explained. "He has to arrange for supplies to be shipped in as soon
as the rivers are free of ice. We will be very busy. The time will go
quickly. Ian is even going to show me the big cities that I have read
about." Nimmie's face took on a glow. For a moment, I wished I could
go with her; and then I quickly thought of Wynn, and any desire to
leave Beaver River left me.

"Besides," said Nimmie matter-of-factly, "the supplies are loweven the supplies in your home. If we go soon, that will mean less
people to feed and more life for the village."

"What about Katherine?"

"Ian is going to ask her what she wishes. We are sure that she will
go with us."

There just seemed to be one question left to ask. "When will you
go?"

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow as soon as the sun is in the sky."

Katherine did choose to go with them. They had very little to take.
Mr. McLain still had his good team of sled dogs and his sled. They
had no clothing to pack and no provisions except what they were
given. Wynn made sure they had a good rifle and some shells. Villagers
came shyly forward as the McLains prepared for travel and offered love
gifts of food or clothing or traps. I knew that the people desperately
needed the things they were giving away, yet so did the McLains. The
gifts were not refused because it would have caused offense to the
givers. They were given in love, and they were accepted in love.

At last the sled was loaded, the team harnessed, and the travelers
were ready for the trail.

At the last minute, Nimmie drew me aside. I wasn't sure I would
be able to talk to her without weeping.

"I have a wonderful secret," she said, her eyes shining, "and I
wanted to share it with you before leaving.

"I am going to have a baby. Just think-after ten years of marriage,
I am going to have a baby!"

"Oh, Nimmie," was all I could say, and I took her in my arms and
cried all over her fur parka.

I was the only one in tears, for the Indian people expressed themselves in other ways. I knew their hearts were heavy, too. It was hard
to see our friends go. It was hard to turn them over to the elements
and the winter. I prayed that they would arrive safely. If anyone knew
how to handle the rigors of the trail, it was the McLains. Nimmie had
come from the forest, and Mr. McLain himself had spent many years
working a trapline before becoming manager of the store. They would know what to do in all circumstances.

It would be hard for Katherine. She had not trained herself for the
ways of the North. The trip would be long and difficult and very taxing. I prayed that God would help her.