The Case of Windy Lake

by Michael Hutchinson

  Eventually, the skinny spruce trees gave way to an opening covered in grass and brush. A few car-sized pits in the limestone surrounded a bigger one about the size of the house. These were the snake pits. From the rustling in the grass, Otter knew a few of the snakes were already awake. A few more days of this heat, and the whole area would be slithering with newly aroused reptiles.

  Carefully, Otter inched toward the edge of the biggest pit and peered over. The archeologist wasn’t down there.

  Suddenly, the hawk screeched. Otter felt the raptor was angry at his intrusion, but it continued to study the earth. A ridge of bare limestone was the highest point around and the hawk was hovering over this area.

  Leaving the snake pits, Otter made his way over to the ridge. He watched the grass carefully, making sure not to step on the few sluggish snakes that were early risers.

  Otter stepped onto the limestone and glanced over his shoulder at the lower landscape. His back was to the bush on the edge of the casually groomed area that defined the snake pits as a tourist attraction. Investigating the limestone shelf where he stood, he noticed a clump of something black sticking to the rock a short distance away. Going closer, Otter soon realized it was the corpse of a garter snake that had come out of the pits. The snake’s skin didn’t look punctured. Instead, it looked like the snake had burst, its insides forcing their way through. Some of the flesh had been picked over.

  The hawk screamed again. Otter looked up. The raptor hovered tirelessly, committed to watching the earth below.

  ó

  “And that’s when I knew what the birds knew.” Otter paused and smiled at his cousins.

  “What did the birds know?” Atim scratched his head.

  Chickadee smiled. “I know what the birds know!”

  Sam glared at her then grinned. “What do the birds know?” he conceded.

  “The birds know you can kill a snake if you lift it really high and drop it,” Otter said triumphantly.

  Sam shook his head. “What does that have to do with finding Dr. Pixton?”

  Grandpa laughed. “This one can’t think like a bird,” he said to his friends.

  “The snakes that come out of the pit are mostly black….” Otter paused waiting for his cousin to catch up.

  The room was quiet as Samuel pinched his chin. Suddenly, understanding brought joy to his face. “Just like the shore rope from the rental boat!” he said with a big clap of his hands.

  “Yes!” Grandpa laughed. The other Elders also clapped their hands and chuckled with their friend.

  “That’s great, Otter!” Chickadee slapped her cousin on the back and then gave him a hug.

  “Now we can prove who pulled the boat ashore!” Sam said to Atim.

  “Wait. What? What did Otter figure out?” Atim’s forehead furrowed with confusion.

  “Tell him!” Sam exclaimed.

  “Sheesh! Tell him!” Chickadee rolled her eyes.

  Otter, not used to being the center of attention, spoke quietly. “Well, when I saw the burst snake, I thought it might have burst because it was dropped. And there was a hawk hovering there, hunting. And, I didn’t see it, but I bet when he does catch a snake, he flies way up, and then lets it go. It falls. And the hawk doesn’t have to fight it to eat it. It can just pick over the bones.”

  “Okay, so…” Atim still wasn’t getting it.

  Chickadee hit him on the shoulder. “The birds picked up the rope from the boat, Goofy.”

  Atim thought for a moment and then grinned as the pieces suddenly fell into place.

  Sam summarized everyone’s thoughts. “So the rain-on-snow event was enough to pick up the boat and get it floating, then the storm pushed it across the lake, and when the storm stopped, the water went down and left the boat on the delta. And then, some bird thought the rope was a snake and picked it up. But he could only get so far. Being a bird, he couldn’t lift the boat. So, when he dropped the rope, it was stretched out, just like someone had been pulling the boat in to shore.”

  “A-ho!” Grandpa said with a big smile. “The Mighty Muskrats have solved one again!”

  Chickadee touched Samuel’s arm. “We have to tell Uncle Levi!”

  Otter laughed. “I already did!”

  “When?!” his cousins asked as one.

  “When I was coming back in the canoe. Gus was riding out to the snake pits with the RCMP. He saw me and stopped. That’s when I told him.”

  “Way to go, Otter!” Atim slapped him on the shoulder.

  Otter continued. “Gus told the RCMP…. They didn’t hear what I was saying even though they were right beside Uncle when I told him.”

  “So, they’ve changed locations?” Grandpa’s brow furrowed.

  “As far as I know. I told them about the high water lifting the boat and about the snake.”

  Grandpa grinned. “You did it, Little One!” He gave Otter’s shoulder a squeeze.

  Samuel was excited to get going. “Our look on the Internet suggested that Dr. Pixton was probably blown from the northeast shore.”

  Grandpa looked at his older guests. “So, should we go get our lazy bones out to look for this old man in the bush?”

  The Elders nodded vigorously.

  “We can go tell Charlotte’s family, and they’ll go out to cultural camp.” One of the lady Elders indicated the other couple with a point of her lips. They agreed with much nodding and furrowed brows. Their chairs scraped against the wood floor as they stood.

  “Who’s taking care of that land?” one of the Elders asked.

  Grandpa thought for a moment. “Windy Lake is big. There’s a lot of land up there. A few families steward that land. Ol’ Relic has a trapping cabin back there. The dog sled race goes right past it.”

  The Elder laughed. “Well, if Relic catches him, there’s a good chance we’ll just get that doctor’s skin back.”

  “Don’t say that!” His wife playfully hit him with her purse.

  Everyone laughed.

  “So, are there trails out that way?” another Elder asked as she put on her coat.

  “Well…yeah, there’re trails and those lines the surveyors cut back in the old days. The bone-digger shouldn’t be hard to find if he started out on one of those.” Grandpa looked around and took stock of what was in his pockets, so he didn’t leave the house without something he needed.

  “You kids go find Mark and tell him to get a boat ready.” Grandpa opened the door and stepped out. His guests followed.

  With the grown-ups gone, the rest of the Mighty Muskrats gathered around Otter.

  “You did it, cuzzin!” Atim shook Otter’s shoulder.

  “You didn’t actually see the hawk lift the snake up?” Sam was curious.

  “No, just the burst one on the ground. It was pretty gross… but cool, you know?” Otter grinned from ear to ear.

  “I knew you’d figure something out.” Chickadee gave him an affectionate shove.

  “Well…now we should go find Dr. Pixton!” Otter announced.

  “Let’s put this case to bed!” Sam punched the air.

  Chapter 18

  Searching Slump

  It took a couple of hours of preparation before everyone was in the boat. But eventually, the Mighty Muskrats stepped onto the northwest shore of Windy Lake in their quest for the archeologist.

  As usual, Otter was first out of the boat, but he was followed closely by the other Muskrats, their older cousin Mark, and their grandfather.

  Once on shore, Grandfather smiled wearily. He went over the details of this land that he had taught to them long before. “This is near where our ancestors used to camp in the winter. The town’s sitting on our summer camp. This was closer to the muskrat fields…before the dam was built.”

  “You think the bone-digger is here, Grandpa?” Atim’s voice was strained as he help
ed Mark pull up the boat.

  “I bet there’s a better chance of finding a history thief at the old winter camp than at the snake pits.” Mark knelt in the lake to wash the dust off the rope.

  “Shhh,” Grandpa scolded the oldest cousin. “Right now, he’s just a scared old man. You don’t know how the bush can frighten a city person. It’s easy to say you are not afraid of the dark when you can flick on a light. We need to find him.”

  “Hi! Uncle Levi!” Chickadee yelled excitedly. Their uncle waved casually, as he stood among a group of RCMP officers, volunteers from the community, and company men.

  They stood at the back of the crowd and listened to the federal officer detail the new search strategy. When it was over, people broke into smaller groups. Half of them got back into their boats and headed toward the sun dance grounds farther along the shore. Of those left, most of the Elders marched off to the nearby winter camp, some volunteers and company men headed down the few visible trails, others formed lines and started combing the bush along the shore.

  When the crowd cleared, Grandpa went to Uncle Levi, and the Mighty Muskrats followed.

  “Those people are going to trample all the signs.” He pointed at one of the groups combing the bush.

  “We’re doing this by the book, Pops,” Uncle Levi said seriously. “It took Gus and me a while to convince them that the hawk idea was possible. They didn’t even tell Makowski the reason they’re changing the search site.”

  Grandpa didn’t push his son. He had dealt with by-the-book people before.

  “Where do you want us to go?” Sam asked. The other kids nodded enthusiastically.

  “Well, why don’t you follow me?” Uncle picked up an ax and some gear and slung it over his shoulder. “I saved a trail for us to go down. It goes past a few traplines and two or three hunting cabins. It’s down this way.” He pointed toward a surveyor’s trail.

  “That’s not the way to Relic’s?” Grandpa asked, although he already knew the answer.

  “No. He’s over there more. I didn’t think you’d want to bump into that old grouch. Not with the Muskrats.”

  Grandpa nodded. “Sounds good,” he said and started off with a walking stick in hand.

  The Mighty Muskrats followed.

  Back when the dam was first built, teams of surveyors had measured, mapped, and cut great swaths into the bush. Long straight lines sliced through the spruce for miles and miles. They became part of the main trail system that had lain on the land since traditional times. The Elders didn’t like the newer cuts because they made it easier for the wolves to catch the moose. But now and then they came in handy. Uncle Levi was taking them to an old trappers’ trail that ran off of one of these.

  Once they were on the trail, it didn’t take long before Grandpa delivered his judgment. “He’s not down here.”

  “We’re not just going on tracks, Pop. We’re going by the book remember?” Uncle Levi yelled over his shoulder, not breaking his stride. “I’m supposed to talk to the people who hunt out here. See if anyone is staying in the cabins. See if they saw anyone out here.”

  “Uh-huh.” Grandpa sounded skeptical.

  The Mighty Muskrats smiled knowingly as they listened to their uncle and grandpa verbally sparring with each other.

  ó

  It was starting to get dark by the time they returned to their starting place. The rest of the searchers were there, waiting for further instructions.

  Uncle Levi went and spoke to the head RCMP officer. Grandpa went to talk with his guests, who had just returned from the old winter camp with the other Elders.

  The Mighty Muskrats and Mark found a quiet place to sit down. Their legs were tired from the long walk.

  When Uncle Levi returned, he sighed. “They’re sending the volunteers back home. They don’t want anyone else getting lost. The doctor will have to spend another night in the bush. Where’s Gramps?”

  The Mighty Muskrats lip-pointed at the group of Elders closer to the boats.

  “Come on.” Their uncle beckoned. “You guys are going home, too. You did a good day’s work today.”

  “What’s going to happen to that old man, Uncle?” Chickadee’s voice was filled with concern.

  “I don’t know.” Uncle Levi’s tone dipped low. “He’s been lucky. Since the storm, the nights have been warm. Tonight is going to be even warmer, and it’s too early in the spring for a lot of mosquitoes and blackflies. If the doctor is dry and uninjured, there’s no reason he couldn’t make it for a few nights out here. Hopefully, he has what it takes to survive one more.”

  Before he walked off to speak to the older volunteers, Uncle Levi beckoned to Mark. “You might as well get the boat ready.” Their older cousin followed Uncle Levi down to the shore.

  Otter yawned. The other Muskrats slowly pulled themselves up off the ground with groans and mutterings. After a stretch, Otter stood up and followed them to the boat.

  Grandpa watched them. Chickadee’s shoulders were slumped. Samuel’s footsteps were heavy. Atim was staring off into space as he walked. Otter dragged his feet.

  “I wonder how your cousin Denice is doing?” Grandpa said sternly.

  That thought hit the Mighty Muskrats’ hearts instantly, and they tried to put a little bounce in their step as they hopped into the boat.

  Chapter 19

  Two Visions Found

  The next day, as Atim and Samuel arrived at Grandpa’s for their morning chores, they came upon Chickadee and Otter who were already outside cutting kindling.

  “One of those Elder couples stayed overnight, so there’s lots to do,” Otter said as he sliced off another sliver of wood with the hatchet.

  “Hurry and come help, lazybones!” Chickadee barked.

  The brothers laughed.

  “What do you think we came to do?” Atim shot back defiantly.

  The popcorn crackle of a vehicle coming down the gravel road drew everyone’s attention. Uncle Levi’s police truck came barreling around the corner. It skidded to a stop in the driveway.

  “Come into the house, kids. Good news!” The truck’s momentum seemed to have been absorbed by their uncle.

  Grandpa’s door opened with a cr-e-e-e-k. The Elders inside looked up from their tea to see Uncle Levi and the Muskrats parade into the kitchen.

  “They found him!” Uncle Levi announced as he took off his cowboy boots.

  “Yay!” Chickadee and Atim yelled.

  “Ah-ho!” the Elders cheered, raising their teacups.

  “Where?” Sam asked.

  “Ol’ Relic marched him out of the bush at the end of a shotgun! Called him a trespasser. The archeologist had broken into his cabin!”

  “He’s lucky to be alive!” Grandpa guffawed.

  “I just heard it over the radio.” Uncle Levi poured himself a cup of tea and leaned against the counter.

  “Is he okay?” Sam asked.

  “They say he is really hungry and cold, but other than that he’s fine. And, like a new man, they said. I wasn’t sure what that meant. The boys just said he was somehow different.” Uncle Levi shrugged.

  “We must go see Denice,” Grandpa suddenly announced.

  “That’s where I’m going now,” Uncle Levi said. “They’re bringing Doctor Pixton to the company dock.”

  “Well, I think it’s time to go check on your cousin. What do you think?” Grandpa smiled mischievously at the Mighty Muskrats.

  Uncle Levi put his cup down. “I’m leaving now. I can’t be seen to have anything to do with you. The company people won’t like it.”

  “Don’t worry, we can get into trouble all by ourselves,” Atim boasted.

  “Sure we can,” Grandpa agreed.

  “I have no doubt,” Uncle Levi shot back over his shoulder as he left.

  “There’s a package for your cousin in the fridge,
” Grandpa told Chickadee.

  “It’ll be good to see her,” Chickadee said.

  “She’ll been done with her vision quest today. Let’s go see what she learned.” Grandpa grabbed his walking stick and headed out through the squeaky door.

  It didn’t take long for the Mighty Muskrats and their grandfather to get to the company docks. They had no trouble getting in. A large crowd, made up of the morning’s volunteers, the company men, and the police officers, had gathered. Everyone waited for the RCMP boat to slide around the point and into view.

  Grandpa led the children right to Denice. Her perch was at the shore end of the dock the crowd was on. Everyone would have had to walk past her to go down to the far end of the pier.

  “Oh!” Chickadee said with both anger and concern as she knelt beside her older cousin. The boys stood around and fidgeted as if they weren’t sure how to help, even though they wanted to.

  “Grandpa!” Denice tried to shout, but the word came out as a dry croak. She was in even worse shape than the day before. Her back looked permanently bent. Her hair hung in dreads with clumps of creosote and tar stuck in it. She made a sorry sight, sitting cross-legged, arms wrapped around the rough, wooden pillar, hands locked within the metal pipe.

  Atim began to rip open the bag with the water bottle inside, but Grandpa waved him off for a moment.

  “How are you, Granddaughter?” Grandpa held her chin up and looked into her eyes.

  “I want to go home, Grandpa. I’m tired.” Denice looked up for a second but then hung her head, exhausted.

  “Then all you have to do is let go, my child.” Grandpa smiled.

  “I don’t know…Grandpa. Did I accomplish anything?” Denice’s lack of energy was dragging down her emotions.

  “Did you learn anything, Granddaughter?”

  “I met a man from Smokey Bend,” Denice explained. After a long pause, she went on. “He’s a dad. Has two lovely girls. He works here. He needs his job. He says he needs the money to give his girls a better life. He makes me wonder…if I’m doing the right thing.”