The Icelandic connection - 01.09.2010, Page 12

62
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
Vol. 63 #2
ing. A large area of ice was turning, dri-
ven by the now very strong wind which
was becoming intolerable. Johann said,
“We are being driven south along the
lake. The ice will break up as it approach-
es the shore so it will be very difficult to
find a place to get to land. But don’t give
up. We will keep going as fast as we can
but we may have to stay out on the ice
overnight because it will be impossible to
try it in the dark.” It seemed that they had
been walking forever as the darkness
began to set in. They searched for and
found an area of thicker ice where they
would spend the night in shelter of broken
slabs of ice, pushed up at the time of
freeze-up. By now the wind had abated
somewhat and the night sky was lit by the
moon and a myriad of stars.
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The dogs were nervous as they lay
down and their eyes shone like live coals
as they reflected the moonlight and
starlight in the cold winter night. “We can
only catnap,” said Johann, “we have to
keep our bodies in motion or we will suc-
cumb to the cold. I think we will be
alright ‘til morning.” They stood together
and asked God to help them. Johann
spoke Icelandic as he began the Lord’s
Prayer. “Fa5ir Vor Pu sem ert a Himnum
Laurence recited his in English. “Our
Father who Art in JJeaven . . .” Then they
took turns sleeping as much as they could
under the circumstances.
Finally morning arrived and they
shook their bodies back to life by swing-
ing arms wildly. A cold mist or fog hung
over the lake as they continued on their
difficult journey to the east shore. Now,
they saw a rather high promontory in the
distance. Johann said, “I know where we
are now. That high point is near Leaf
River. We will come ashore nearly thirty
miles further south than we intended to.
The ice has carried us far during the night.
Our only hope is to access the shore on
the south side of the highland where the
ice may still be in place because of the
lee.”
By noon the wind had become more
severe and soon there was a continuous
roar of breaking ice as they approached
the shore. On the north side of the point,
they could see large slabs of broken ice
being driven by the wind and crashing
right up on the shore in a mad frenzy. The
small trees of the east shore stood no
chance against this huge invasion and
were soon broken down and covered with
piles of ice as one sheet slid over another.
It seemed that this would never stop.
Soon, the sheet of ice they stood on
moved past the promontory and was part-
ly sheltered from the biting wind. With
much difficulty they managed to get onto
the rocky shoreline and up into the woods