Chapter 7.1

Sara had awoken feeling less sore than the day before. She changed the bandage on her leg, which was healing nicely. The wound was no longer bleeding and was showing no signs of infection. She didn’t even need to take any pain medication, which brightened her spirits. If the storms would break, she would easily be able to hike out of the forest and head home to continue her recovery.

Sara chose her breakfast carefully. While staying in the cabin, she was eating less. That meant whatever she cooked for breakfast would also be her lunch and dinner. After Sara made her choice and started cooking her breakfast, she took the cast-iron pot outside to collect water for the day. She wanted to get everything started, so she could at least text her husband to let him know she felt better.

Sara went back inside and sat down at the table. She picked up her phone and checked the signal. She crossed her fingers as she dialed her husband's number and listened to his phone ringing.

Kevin answered, “Hello, my love. How are you feeling this morning?”

“Better, thank you,” Sara told him happily. “I’m not as sore this morning, so as soon as the weather breaks, I am out of this cabin and on my way home.”

“That is amazing news. You have no idea what a relief it is to hear you say that.”

“I thought that might make your day even though it hasn’t even really started yet.”

“That may be,” Kevin said. “But it is still probably the best news I will hear today.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not. By the time I am done with this audit and investigating, there are a few people who will be lucky if they do not go to prison.”

“Wow,” Sara said. “Now I understand why it was such an emergency for you to do it. I mean, it sucks that you weren’t able to come with me, but I get it.”

“Yeah, that’s the way I feel about this mess too. But I promise we will go to that forest together as soon as possible.”

“I know,” Sara said. “It’s okay. I’m marking everything on my map, and I am kind of enjoying it. Even with falling off a cliff embankment, getting hurt, and being essentially trapped in this little cabin by storms.”

“Well, that reading material you found is making things more interesting, isn’t it?” Kevin chided. “What new adventures has Herschel regaled you with now?”

“Make fun all you want, but I feel this sort of connection to him and his trapping partner, Jim,” Sara told her husband. “He enjoys the peace and solitude of this forest and the wilderness the same as I do. Reading about him going about his day and how, at times, he struggled with arthritis pain makes me really care about him and Jim. And something happened in Herschel’s life that made him leave Missouri and come here to Minnesota to become a trapper. I need to know what that was.”

“I have the feeling this journal and the men in it will still be with you when you get home, won’t they?”

“I think so, depending on what’s in the rest of the journal. If something bad happened to one or both of them, I want to find their families, so they know what happened. It might have happened generations ago, but their families deserve to have that closure, don’t they? Am I crazy for thinking that?” Sara questioned.

“No, I don’t think you are crazy for wanting to do that. I think that is one of the traits that makes you so special,” Kevin told her softly. “You want to take care of everyone who needs it. That is part of what makes you such a great nurse. You care. Herschel was probably middle age when he wrote that, if not older. He is long gone, and so is Jim. Yet you have developed connections with both of them and genuinely care about their families. You are absolutely one of a kind, and I love you so much because of it.”

Sara could feel herself tearing up a little and did everything she could to hide it as she spoke. “I love you too. You have no idea how much better I feel knowing you don’t think I’m crazy, or at least not crazy for this.”

“I don’t think you are crazy at all. If I thought you were crazy, I would never have asked you to marry me.”

“Are you sure? Maybe I just hid it well until I had that ring on my finger,” Sara teased.

“Oh, I’m sure. Why do you think we dated for five years before I proposed?” Kevin teased back.

“I see how it is,” Sara laughed. “Hey Babe, sorry to cut this short, but I think my breakfast is ready, and I need to go collect my water pot from outside before either the storm picks up again or the stalked deer drinks it.”

“That deer is still hanging around?” Kevin asked with a tinge of worry in his voice.

“Yeah, but it’s okay. Ted isn’t aggressive, well, except for pushing me down the hill. Truthfully, that could have been an accident. The storm might have panicked him; he bolted, and I happened to be in the way,” Sara defended.

Kevin began to laugh, “You are still calling him Ted?”

“Why not? He needs a name, and that is as good as any.”

“Fair enough,” Kevin said, still chuckling. “I will let you go so you can get everything done. I love you, bye.”

“I love you too, bye,” Sara replied and then hung up. 

Sara placed her phone on the table before moving to where her camp stove was set up and removed her breakfast from it. She carefully set the steaming pan on the table before making her way to the door to get her pot of water. Sara opened the door to see the deer standing motionless just feet away, water dripping off his antlers.

“Don’t you dare!” Sara scolded the deer. 

Sara grabbed the handle of the Dutch oven, never taking her eyes off the buck. The buck watched her and responded with a single ear flick as she closed the door and tied it shut.

“What the frack is wrong with that freaking deer?” Sara asked under her breath.

She set the pot on her camp stove and turned it on to start boiling. Typically, rainwater that is collected is safe. However, she wanted to make sure the water was sterilized. With the deer hanging around, the buck may have drunk from it, and she would rather be safe than sorry. When she was done, Sara sat down at the table and picked up the journal, eager to continue.

December 1, 1879

The blizzard began today. It was earlier than we expected, and because of that, Jim may die. 

“What?” Sara uttered. She was entirely caught off guard by that sentence. She felt like she had just been told a family member was in an accident. Sara closed her eyes and took a slow deep breath to regain her composure before she went back to reading.

We were attempting to gather our traps. Jim was some distance ahead of me when the hillside gave way under his feet. I don’t even know how far he fell. I do know he is badly injured. It felt like it took me forever to climb down to where he was. While I was climbing down, I slipped and hurt my shoulder. I still managed to get him uncovered. It took hours for us to make it back to the cabin. By the time we reached it, we were in blinding snow that was nearly hip-deep. 

I am doing everything I know how to do to take care of Jim. He is awake, so he can tell me some of what I need to do. I know he has broken bones and bruises all over. He has a deep cut on his head that I am doing my best to staunch the bleeding. He is telling me that it is hard to breathe and that it hurts. That is making him cough. Jim also says his belly hurts him, and it looks like it is swollen. 

I hope what the both of us know about medicine is enough to keep him here with me. Of all the men I have known in my life, he is the closest thing I have ever had to a brother. 

“Oh, God,” Sara stammered.

She began to run through the possible injuries they might have, and all were grim in that time. Jim could have broken ribs, a punctured or collapsed lung, ruptured spleen, lacerated liver, a traumatic brain injury, and several other injuries, all of which would almost certainly be fatal in that era. Even Herschel’s shoulder injury could be life-ending if it prevented him from caring for himself or Jim.

Sara’s heart sank the more she thought about what Herschel had written. She looked to the shelves and the wooden boxes that still contained personal items. Sara had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, knowing how this would end for the two men. She had to keep reading so she could tell their story.

December1, 1879

Second entry. I can’t sleep because of the pain in my shoulder. I laid down, but with every breath or movement I made, pain shot through it. I have tried the willow bark tea, but it isn’t working on this.

Jim’s breathing is loud and ragged. He is in a fitful sleep, groaning from time to time. He was able to take in a little broth and some of the willow bark tea, which seemed to help him to be able to rest more comfortably. He feels cold to the touch, sweating and shivering as if he has a chill. I am doing my best to keep him warm and comfortable. Jim is strong. I hope what I am doing is enough.

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