The Icelandic connection - 01.09.2010, Page 13

Vol. 63 #2
ICELANDIC CONNECTION
63
much to the enjoyment of the dogs who
now ran around investigating all the
sounds and smells of the new environ-
ment into which they were cast.
This journey was not about to end
soon. Now they would have to figure out
a way to get back to the island or to
Poplar River.
The sun was beginning to slant
towards the horizon as they followed a
well-worn trail up along the river. Johann
said, “I think the boys from Poplar River
have a cabin in this area that they use
while they are trapping. It is probably up
above the rapids and there we might find
a way to get north across the river.”
“If we find the cabin before dark we
will be able to spend the night in relative
comfort and warm ourselves by a fire.
There might even be some food there.”
Just as darkness fell, they came to the
old log cabin which to them, at the time,
looked like a castle. A lock hung on the
the door and they were forced to break it
in order to get inside. A leg of frozen cari-
bou hung in the entrance and they quick-
ly made a fire to cook some of it for them-
selves and for the dogs. They were all
extremely hungry and ate well before
falling asleep in the welcome warmth of
the trapper’s cabin.
With the arrival of dawn they began
making their plans for the day. Then they
made preparations to leave. They pre-
pared a lunch of caribou and some old
biscuits and left a five dollar bill, a huge
sum in those days, on the table to pay for
the broken lock and for the food. This
custom was common among the people of
this area when they were in need of shel-
ter and sustenance. Very soon they found
the rapids, and, further up, saw where the
trappers had crossed over the river. There
the ice was flat, quite thick and suitable
for crossing. The trappper’s trail was easy
to follow as they used it at least once a
week to tend to their traplines.
“We could make it all the way to
Poplar River in a couple of days if we are
lucky,” said Johann, “and then we can
maybe get word out to the island that we
are still alive.”
These amazing young men were well
used to travelling through rough country
and by evening they had come a long way.
They stopped when they found a small
shelter used by the trappers when they
were travelling back and forth to their
camp at Leaf River.
This shelter consisted of several small
black spruce trees arranged in a semi-cir-
cle against a larger tree. In the opening
was a place where where the young trap-
pers had had a fire to cook their meals.
This was an excellent spot to spend the
night, warm and cozy in front of the fire.
Before going to sleep they cooked some of
the meat they carried with them from the
cabin. Woodland caribou of the region was
delicious, especially if you were as hun-
gry as they were. Soon they would be fast
asleep, dreaming of the days to come
when they would be reunited with
Johann’s brothers and all of their friends
on the island.
They awoke at dawn with a strong
feeling of anticipation as to what the day
would hold for them. Soon they were on
their way north, ever north. As they came
to a gradual bend in the trail they noticed
that the dogs Grani and Surtur began to act
strangely, making low growling noises,
while the hair on their necks stood straight
up. The dogs had not acted like this previ-
ously on this journey so Johann and
Laurence wondered what was up ahead.
Johann said, “Perhaps there are timber
wolves near by and dogs are quite scared
of them. Anyway, we will likely soon find
out what is out there.”
A little further along the trail their
question was answered. They heard the
sound of two young men talking and
laughing as well as the sound of the dog
teams they were driving. Suddenly they
came around a bend in the trail - and were