Saving Grace

Chapter 24

Joe opened his eyes the next morning to hear the oxen lowing and the harness jingling. He groaned and shook his head. "Stubborn boy."

Sarah coughed. "He wanted to show you he could do it."

"I'm sure. He doesn't understand what could happen though." Joe threw off the covers before remembering he needed to keep Grace warm. "Dang it." He whipped them back over Grace and tucked her in.

Sarah snuggled close, smothering a cough.

"We'll get that cabin build soon, honey."

He pulled his jacket on as he left the tent. The bitter wind bit his face. He blinked several times, trying to get used to the icy brilliance. Frost covered everything in sight. Billows of white smoke rose as the oxen huffed. Levi trotted alongside them guiding them as they dragged logs closer to the fire. Already, exhaustion dragged at the boy's features.

Joe buttoned his coat against the chilling wind and shot Levi a questioning glance.

He shrugged in response. "Figured you were right. I wanted to prove you wrong, but I can't."

"How many logs you figure you wanna work on today?"

"Maybe six or eight. Don't know if I'll get them all done. You got a good start over there. Maybe if it's not too late when you get back we can put a few more in place."

"That'd be fine. We need to notch 'em."

Levi nodded and turned his attention back to the team as he unhooked the logs.

"Let me help with the rest of them. Then you take a rest for a bit. No sense overworking yourself."

"Do you think we can move in soon?"

"Probably the end of the week. Once we get the supplies, we'll be a bit better off. I hope."

They hitched the team to the wagon and Joe climbed onto the seat.

"Stay safe. Be careful."

"Yeah. You two stay warm. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He clucked to the team and drove off through the stillness. The team struggled through several drifts. Joe grimaced as he kept them moving forward through the canyon. "We need to get movin' if we're gonna beat the deep snow."

A wagon wheel rolling in the wind came into sight. Joe swallowed hard as the unwelcome task loomed in front of him. He glanced toward the pile of rocks, thankful it hadn't been disturbed. He tied the team to a nearby log and started loading the loose wagon pieces. One wheel was embedded in the frozen creek. Joe kicked it several times to dislodge. He cursed before moving to the grisly task of retrieving the harnesses from the mules.

He blanched as he kicked the snow from the carcasses. Broken bones and a few bits of fur were all that remained. He wrestled the leather lines away from the frozen mass. The sun was starting on it's downward slope as he finished loading the parts he felt he could use. He turned to survey the cache high in the nearby tree.

"How do I get up there?"

He retrieved one of the salvaged reins and tossed it over a branch. Joe tried to pull himself up the tree. His gloved hands lost grip on the frozen leather and he slid to the snow. He threw the reins in disgust. They wrapped around the tree and popped him in the face. Screaming in fury, he threw rocks at the cache. None of them came close to dislodging it.

He sat on a rock, the cold seeping through his worn pants and into his bones. "What am I gonna do? We need those supplies."

A squirrel chattered angrily at his presence. He watched as the small animal hugged the tree as it spiraled upward. A smile spread across his face as he remembered watching the guys climb the telephone poles using a line wrapped around themselves and the pole. He gaged the distance then retrieved the other rein and coiled it around his chest. With the reins looped around him and the tree, he started to climb. The cache drew steadily closer and closer as he inched his way up the tree.