The Winds of Autumn by Janette Oke Read Free Book Online Page B

the area and then slowly back again. I don’t know just how long I sat there, drinking it all in. I finally roused myself with a sigh, then pulled myself to my feet and began exploring the ground all around the little pond.
    Boy, I was sorry the other fellas weren’t with me! They were really missing something, all right.
    Reluctant at the thought of leaving this place, I dipped my pail in the coolness of the pond water so that I could hurry some back to the boys. Then I had another idea and let the water slip from the pail back into the pool again. I moved back around the small pool and climbed up the rocks to where the spring came out of the hillside.
    This is why they call it a spring, I mused. It does “spring” right out of that rock.
    By stretching the pail as far as I could, I managed to reach the silver stream of water that tumbled down from above. The icy water splashed over my hand as I caught the water in my bucket. I wanted to get it back to the fellas at camp as quick as I could so it would still be cold, but how I hated to leave the place.
    “I’ll be back,” I whispered my promise; “iffen I have my way, I’ll sure be back. An’ when I come, I’ll camp right there by that pool and listen to the song of the waterfall all night long.”
    I circled the little pool once more and after one last long look, I headed back the way I had come. This time I covered the ground much more quickly.
    When I reached our campsite the sun had moved high in the sky and was already heading for the western horizon. I hadn’t realized until I got close to the camp and smelled the lingering aroma of food how hungry I was.
    When I came hurrying in, hustling that pail of spring water before it had time to become warm in the afternoon sun, both Willie and Avery looked a bit shamefaced. But I was so excited to tell them all about the pool that I didn’t really notice it or pay much attention to the fact that the fire had gone out, though I sure was hungry. I went into great detail describing the waterfall, the pool, the surrounding greens and reds and golds. I shoved the pail of water toward them, insisting that they try a cold drink. At great length I told them just how cold it had been when I had started back with it and would have rattled on and on—but my stomach started to rumble. I sure was hungry.
    I looked at the blackened kettle over the cold ashes of what had been the campfire, then fell to my knees and reached for the grimy pot.
    Willie started to apologize but I waved it aside.
    “It’s okay,” I assured him. “I don’t mind eatin’ things cold.”
    “Well—ah—well ah—“ muttered Willie. “I’m afraid there isn’t anything cold left to eat.”
    “Then I’ll just start the fire again and cook up some more of whatever you had,” I offered. “What’d you have?”
    “Well—Willie baked potatoes and carrots over the coals,” said Avery helpfully.
    “Sounds good,” I said. “Did it take long?”
    But neither of them answered my question.
    “We cooked all of the potatoes and carrots that we found,” put in Avery after a while. “Even so we were hard put to find enough. Some animal got in our supplies last night. Seems he liked vegetables.” Avery was warming to his story. “We had to scout around to find a few things left, and then we had to cut out the teeth marks before we cooked them.”
    “Oh,” I said, then brightened at this idea. “Well, I’ll just fry me up some bacon then.”
    Willie squirmed on the rock he was using for a stool. “Bacon’s all gone, too,” he said, his voice low and his eyes on the ground.
    That slowed me down. I already knew we had no bread, no cheese, no more apples or pears, no cookies or no pancake fixings.
    “What is there?” I finally asked the dreaded question.
    “Beans,” answered Willie and Avery in unison.
    “I think I’ll catch me a fish,” I mumbled, trying hard to keep the disgust out of my voice.
    “While you’re gone I’ll build the