Testing the Ice
[Chapter Six]
As they journeyed onward to the big lake, Blue was glad to get away from the beasts, those burly wolves that seem to dominate the woodlands; he did not understand their ways, thus, a baseless apprehension--less than a fear. Now it was the Indians and the elements of the weather also he had to deal with. The wind was starting to pick up and the cold was coming in. A cautious deliberateness spawned in Blues attitude. He was automatically looking up in the trees, through the trees, behind him. He was cold and kept wiping his eyes, starring, wondering if his eyes were being honest with him; he was becoming impatient. On the other hand, he was hoping to get to the lake before dark set in so they could stop walking through the deep snow, picking up his feet to make another step, it was strenuous to say the least, and Feba was becoming exhausted.
It was a hard day's walk to the big lake, it took five hours, and it was about 3:00 PM. The lake was huge thought Blue. No canyons or Rocky Mountains, what he was used to, just ice and snow for as far as he could see. A frozen lake now resided ahead of him: it was all of twenty-below zero now; now, and getting colder. He couldn't walk any more all his energy was gone, and the horse was exhausted also. Feba was riding the horse half the time and fell to sleep for a spill. They actually made good time under such conditions.
Lifting her off the horse by holding her feet carefully, he examined her face. She was pretty, like the white on the branches of the trees. Then Blue looked about, he told himself this was not going to be his grave site, not here, not yet. His feelings went from discouragement, to encouraging, perhaps he was becoming acclimated to his environment.
With no real sense of urgency, Blue told Feba to sit down by a Pine Tree while he tied the horse, and found wood to start a fire, along with taking the several furs he had to make a tent like enclosure with. It was small, and they both could barely fit into it but they managed, and the fire was close almost on top of them, and the fur was warm.
The sky was turning orange and white light was starting to seep through the corners of it, along with the blue of the sky turning darker. There seemed to be ice under the ice as Blue went down to the lake to test the strength of the ice, to see if he could stand on it, walk on it. As Blue walked back to his campsite, he found an arrow lying in the dirt. He wasn't sure if it was put there, or a hunter missed his prey. He picked it up, whispered to himself, "It might come in handy testing the ice."
Then as he walked a little farther, he noticed a rock-cave, he walked up to it, there staring at him with a blanket around his head was an old frozen to death Indian. His eyes frozen open, looking down at the lake, his nostrils big. His forehead was bruised black looking. You could see his cheek bones perturbing from his face. The dark stain on his forehead and nose was a stain Blue felt from the wool blanket which had fallen back while the wind shifted his body around.
Blue took the old mans blanket, and the frozen wood in his cave, and dragged the old man back into the cave so he could rest against the stone wall, then tracked back down the embankment, to his campsite. If the weather got too windy, they could pick up and go into cave he thought, for now it was fine. They were twenty-feet in front of the lake, with a warm fire: life was getting better, he joked to Feba.
Blue put the blanket on the ground within his shelter, and it made things a little less cold. The heat from the fire came rushing into the animal skin tent. This was a smaller area to warm up, thought Blue, we can stay here, and so they did.
Feba's fingers were starting to freeze Blue noticed and so he put them under his arm pits. He jumped a little, them being so cold, but they unthawed, and he was happy for that.
"Next time Feba, when you can't feel something, or it feels numb, let me know."
"YE sssssssssss, "she stuttered with her lips trying to close, but was like a typewriter in motion.
As it got dark, Feba fell against Blue's shoulder, and frozen tears melted on his leather. Blue looked, she was sleeping, and possibly dreaming, the endless nightmare. He knew he only had the elements to deal with, she had had lost a home, and family. No money, only a horse and some furs. How hard can life be on a person thought Blue? You wait to marry, do all you can to be a good wife, and this is what happens. It didn't seem fair. But it was the life many chose, Blue told himself. Like the farmer, who needs a good harvest to continue on with his life? Or a barber who needs a city full of hair to keep his shop open. We all choose a walk in life, and like it or not, we got to pay the price.
There were no outhouses thought Blue: 'I haven't gone to the bathroom for hours, or is it days?' He said out loud, then got up, and stepped out of the shelter. Half hidden among a tree, he was trying to get glimpses all about him as he pulled his pants down and relieved himself, then taking a branch off the tree and wiping himself. The cold and cool air seeped through his pants, as his hot body absorbed it.
Back in the shelter Feba had woke up.
"I'm really hungry Blue; do you think we can cook something? I know it's late."
It wasn't really late thought Blue, it just seemed so, looked so, felt so, and it was a very trying day to boot. But he also was hungry. It took more effort to make camp it seemed than to track for five hours.
"Yaw, I'm already cook three pounds of meet. It is better we eat tonight; feed the horse, and maybe we can get some fish or rabbit tomorrow. We will have about two pounds left of meat for tomorrow night."
"That sounds like a good plan, Mr. Arizona."
"Just call me Blue, it kind of goes with the Arizona part, but most of my friends just say Blue."
"Ok Blue."
"Here," Blue took out a big portion of the meat he had been cooking, cleaned it off with some snow, and gave it to Feba on a stick. She ate it like a real cowboy, Blue thought. She smiled. Blue then took the other piece and gave it to the horse, and then one for him.
Said Blue with a chuckle "If we can't find food in a few days, the horse goes."
Feba looked at the horse outside of the shelter, and at Blue, digging for something to say, she said with a sigh of relief, "I never thought of the horse for dinner," then hesitated, and remarked, "but I've had horse meat before also, so, whatever."
Blue took a look around his camp to see if there were any more arrows to be found, having found none, he joined Feba, and they both fell to sleep, Blue with his Colt laying on his lap, and a fire in front of him. If a beast came, it would have to go over the fire, and walk right into his pistol.
