The box behind the coop was filled with items they left for Jack to trade for himself. They had hoped to see him before they left, but, in the event that he did not show, Joseph had left him a carefully written letter thanking him for his friendship and wishing him a good life.
“Let’s take a walk. Just up to the mine,” Joseph suggested and Alice joined him.
The opening to the dugout had been judiciously concealed to avoid discovery until the new claim owner took over. Joseph stood with his hands behind his back looking at the mountains in the distance.
Alice stepped up beside him and noticed a sparkle along the stream. She bent to retrieve a nugget about the size of a bean and smiled.
“The stuff is everywhere,” she said and he turned to face her. “I just took this out of the creek.”
“Keep it,” he chuckled.
Joseph turned to face the mountain range. “I’ll miss Alaska, I have to say it.”
“What will you miss most of all?” she asked.
He looked across the land, surveying the beautiful landscape. The morning mist hung over the hills making the view soft and surreal and he tried to think of his time there and find the one thing he would miss most. When he had decided he turned to face her.
She looked up at him curiously, her gentle face questioning. Her lips were parted softly and she blinked.
He felt the lump rise in his throat and he had his answer.
“Remember the other day. When you were so angry with me? I guess you’ve been angry all along.”
“I remember,” she said, searching his eyes.
“You said you knew the rules about me and Yvonne.”
“I know the rules.”
“I have to say up front they have not changed.”
“I figured that,” she held her breath.
“The thing I will always miss the most about Alaska is you, Alice. It will always be you.”
Alice put her fingertips to her lips and fought back her tears. All of her resolve completely melted and she tried to see him through her tears. “Thank you, Joseph. Thank you for that. I will never forget you, or how I feel about you.”
“I’m sorry it wasn’t different,” he said watching her emotional response.
“It’s not everything I wanted, but it’s a lot,” she said and reached up and kissed his cheek.
He turned to face the landscape. “Tomorrow we’ll leave early. Let’s get some rest.”
Alice walked beside him back to the cabin. She slipped the nugget into her hem beside the lipstick.
Chapter Twenty-One
Joseph rose before dawn and made the last cup of dandelion coffee, savoring the aroma in the quiet cabin.
“That smells good,” Alice said, stretching and rubbing her eyes.
“Here’s your last cup of the weed coffee.” He handed her a cup as she sat on the bench.
“I slept really hard. I was afraid I wouldn’t.”
“Maybe you’re over me since the mirror incident,” he joked.
“Doubtful,” she smiled.
“Are you ready?” He sat across from her and looked down into his cup.
“I think so. I’m nervous… and excited both.”
“Me too,” he said.
“How long do you think it will take us?” she asked.
“Days, a week, or maybe two. It’s hard to say. Weather will make a difference. If it’s icy we may have to wait in some spots. If it’s wet we may have to wait in other spots. It’s not a race really.”
“It’s still pretty cold. I think it’s only been above freezing the one day,” she said.
“If we wait until the thaw it will be worse traveling. There are bogs and some swampland. We want to cross those while they’re still frozen. There’s the rush too. As soon as the ice melts on the rivers they’ll be coming. If the trail gets full it will be a problem because there are places that only one man can pass at a time. I don’t want to be there if there are others trying to get through.”
It occurred to Alice she had never seen him interact with anyone but herself and Jack. She tried to imagine him smiling and friendly in his shop while he talked to his customers.
“Will it be strange for you, you think, to see people again?”
“What do you mean?”
“In nearly a year I have seen you speak to no one but Jack and me.”
“I hadn’t realized that. Are you afraid that maybe I’ll get down there and really be a mad hermit?” He chuckled at the thought.
“I certainly hope not!” Alice laughed. “But now that I think about it, I haven’t spoken to anyone else myself. Maybe I’ll be the one that has gone mad.”
“You said you liked my wrinkles. I think you may be mad already.” He smiled at her warmly.
“Oh, Joseph, this is harder than I imagined,” she said as they looked around one last time. “I loved this cabin.”
“You should have been here when I built it.” He felt emotional himself.
“I wish I had been. I’ll bet it was an amazing experience. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“I could have used the help, and enjoyed the company,” he said quietly.
He pulled open the door to the cabin and Alice stepped into the threshold and turned to look back one more time. She swallowed hard and then stepped out.
Joseph turned and looked back himself. The cabin was scrubbed and left in an orderly manner. He didn’t know what would become of it, but in his mind he would remember it this way. He set the peg in the door to lock it.
Joseph helped Alice with her backpack. It was made of a heavy hide with a wooden frame which supported it against her back. Sturdy straps went over the shoulders and a band fastened about her waist. It sat high to help her maintain her balance for long journeys. Alice had insisted she would not leave the Amish hat behind and she had attached it to the high pole on her pack.
Both of them wore the caribou clothing of the local natives, leather ponchos over tunics and leggings. On their feet they had strapped snowshoes to their high boots. Joseph had fashioned a face covering for Alice from a piece of shaggy bear hide that went across her chin and hung from her ears. She could wear it easily under her chin and lift it over her face if necessary. He insisted that, if they crossed paths with any men on the trail, she keep her braids tucked inside of her clothing, her hood up and that she lifted the covering over her face. He laughed so hard at her new beard she was certain no one would realize she was a woman. With him still wearing all his full whiskers, he assured her, no one would be the wiser.
He checked her pack carefully and turned her around to face him. Other than her short stature one could imagine she was a man, or perhaps a native woman. There were those who had come to the area who were terrified of the local tribes and with good reason, and Joseph was hoping that would work in his favor. Alice lifted her head to peer out of her garb and he could not suppress a deep chuckle.
He climbed into his own pack and adjusted his clothing with her help until he was comfortable and felt the pack sitting well against his back.
“Are we ready?” he asked.
Alice slid off her face covering and looked up at him. “Alright,” she said and took a deep breath.
“Let’s go find us some civilization,” he said and started into the tree line.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They hiked their way through the pines and over hilly slopes covered in thick snow. Alice looked up after the first quarter of a mile and reached out to touch Joseph’s arm.
“Look,” she whispered.
As the dawn broke over the lake in the distance a large bull moose emerged from the woods, silhouetted against the bright rays of the new sun. Golden bands of sunlight spread over the frozen lake creating a spectacle of light and shadow as the pines stood tall in the distance.
Joseph stopped, recognizing the lake. “We’re liable to see all sorts of animals near the water. Stay close and keep your wits about you.”
Alice nodded silently and
walked up close behind him, enjoying the breathtaking sunrise.
“It’s even prettier past the trees,” he said.
When they emerged from the woods Alice caught her breath. The sun sat just above the water, reflected on the ice in every shade of yellow and orange.
“There’s the real gold,” she said.
Joseph stood beside her. The lake had thawed in places and he wondered if perhaps they should have left sooner.
They skirted the water to the south and Alice admired the mountains in the distance. “Will we go through there?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s where we start climbing, but not today. We’ll camp at the base.”
Alice looked out over the lake and saw a flock of terns alight on the far shore, their white wings reflecting the golden rays of the sun. Their calls echoed in the quiet morning light as they gathered along the water’s edge and she pointed them out to Joseph.
He stopped briefly, growing irritated by her constant distraction from their journey and looked down at her. Her face was glowing in the dawn’s light and he looked out to see what she had found so interesting.
They heard the rustle of branches just behind them and Alice grabbed onto his arm.
A massive bald eagle leapt from the pines and took flight only inches above them. His wingspan of nearly seven feet startled them both and, as he rose over the lake, both of them let out their breath audibly.
The eagle soared to the surface of the water and extended his talons, skimming the water and extracting a large fish.
“Oh my,” Alice gasped.
The eagle circled wide over the lake and flew back towards them and as Alice put her hands up to cover her head the bird cried out and dropped the fish at her feet.
Joseph began to laugh nervously. “How about that?” He said looking down at the large Mackinaw trout wriggling on the ground. “I guess he thought we looked hungry.”
Alice could not make a sound, overwhelmed by the sight. She looked up to him and began to giggle.
Joseph found a vine and strung it through the fish’s gills. He attached it to Alice’s pack.
“Hey, that fish is heavy,” she laughed.
“A little ways longer and you can carry it inside of you instead,” he said.
They watched the eagle soar across the lake again, finding another fish and circling wide around them before returning to the forest.
“How many men do you think will come up here for gold?” Alice asked as they continued their journey.
“Hundreds. Maybe more, it’s hard to say. This is pretty rugged country, even more than I imagined. That will keep the number down I think.”
“If you didn’t know the conditions, how will they?”
“That’s a good question.” He walked into the woodland and Alice followed.
“If too many come, this land will not be the same,” she said.
Joseph looked back over his shoulder at the lake and walked on.
The fire crackled, sputtering as it consumed the dead branches that Joseph had gathered during the last part of that day’s journey. Alice stepped back from the tent. It was small, enough for the two of them and their packs, but nothing more. It was made of a light-colored canvas with a split flap over the opening and was easy to assemble. Alice had no trouble putting it together after all of her practices at the cabin and she had unfurled the bedroll inside.
Joseph dropped the filleted trout into the pan and the aroma quickly filled the air.
“It seems like it got dark early,” Alice said as she squatted down beside him.
“Rain coming, I think,” he said pensively.
“Something on your mind?” she asked.
“Not especially. I’m hungry and tired. I’ve been thinking about what you said about being like a hermit returning, about seeing people again.”
“Does it worry you?” she asked.
“Not once we’re down the mountain, it’s the way out I’m worried about. We’ll need to be very careful about what we say and do.”
“I don’t plan to say anything to anyone.” She watched him flip the fish in the pan.
“I’ll figure it out when it happens,” he said, more to himself than to her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Joseph awoke to the soft patter of a light rain upon the canvas tent and looked around. Earlier, they had climbed into the tent and discussed the best way to share the small space. Eventually they agreed to put the packs along one side of the tent and sleep with their backs to each other. Now they were in completely different positions and he tried to extract himself without waking her.
Alice had her face snuggled into his neck and her arm around his chest. Since seeing his reflection in the mirror he had come to hate the beard and the thought of her face buried into it made him uncomfortable. He vowed that, as soon as they got out of Alaska, it would come off entirely. He reached down to slide her thigh from his and then crawled from the tent quickly. He’d been aroused by her so many times he’d had enough. He enjoyed many things about her but the uncontrollable reactions his body had to her were beginning to wear thin. He pulled his parka on as he stepped out into the freezing rain.
He walked a short distance from the tent and stared off into the woodland. Joseph looked up at the sky and hoped it would turn warmer and that some sun would appear. The next part of their journey would involve climbing and ice was the worst possible condition. He gathered wood, thinking they may not be able to move on until later in the day.
When he had a good fire going he pulled his pouch from his pocket. He’d taken out the gold and packed the sack with the ground dandelion root. There wasn’t much, but he thought Alice would enjoy the surprise. He poured a small amount into the toe of the silk stocking he had taken from the things she had left behind and dropped it like a tea ball into the boiling pot of water.
“Ho!” Joseph heard the call from the woodland and got to his feet.
“Is that coffee you got there?” a voice called out.
Joseph did not respond. Then he saw a man emerge from the tree line and he greeted him with a nod.
“Smells like coffee,” the man said. He was large and burly, with a thick red beard and pack across his back.
“It’s a ground up weed,” Joseph responded.
“Is there enough of that weed for me to maybe have a taste?” The man offered his hand. “Tom MacNee.”
Joseph could see immediately MacNee was not a prospector, at least not yet. His hands were calloused, but not excessively. He had clearly not been digging in the hard clay or pickling his flesh in the chilly streams. Joseph filled a tin cup and handed it to him. “Amish Joe,” he said.
“Going up or down?” the man asked.
“Down.”
“Find anything?” The man squatted beside the fire, ice granules gathering in his beard.
“I’ve been up here two years. It’s time for me to go home. I’ve had enough.”
“Too bad. I’ve been looking for a partner.”
Alice had heard their voices and lay completely still in the tent. She had the gun in her hand and she waited quietly.
“Got one,” Joseph said, nodding toward the tent.
Alice took the opportunity and cleared her throat as deeply as she could and hurried into her clothing.
MacNee heard the rustling inside and handed the cup back to Joseph. “Good luck to you then. I’m headed up.”
“You too.” Joseph waited until he was completely out of view and spoke softly. “You can come out.”
Alice emerged cautiously from the tent and took a deep breath.
“I thought it would be a nice surprise to bring just a bit of the coffee. Apparently it attracts strangers.”
“I heard that,” she said.
“That was an impressive cough. I wouldn’t have imagined myself that there was a tiny woman in that tent.”
“Thanks” she said as he handed her a tin of the brew. “I won’t tell you why I learned it.”
; Joseph shook his head and looked into the woods where MacNee had gone. The rain continued but the air had warmed. “We need to keep moving,” he said.
They quickly ate leftover cold fish from the evening before and dismantled the tent. Joseph was not happy that they had to roll it up wet. Moisture would rot away the canvas eventually and he didn’t care to sleep with the musty smell that would now be in the fabric. But even more, he didn’t want to be around if Tom MacNee returned. If he was being checked out by one man there would be others. He and Alice helped one another into their packs.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Morning gave way to midday and the weather showed little improvement. Their travel was hard as they struggled up a narrow ledge along the cliff face. Eventually the light rain became steady and the shelf that ran along the mountainside became slippery and dangerous. Joseph had Alice walk in front of him and he watched as she stepped carefully, holding onto roots that grew down the face of the mountain. The ledge eventually became a narrow trail but the height was dizzying and neither of them looked down as they climbed. Late in the day the wind began to rise and Joseph decided they would set up camp at the first opportunity.
When darkness began to threaten they stopped briefly and Joseph took a position in front of her, trying to assess how much longer they had before they reached a plateau. He decided that, if they picked up their pace, they could reach a place to camp before total darkness fell.
“We need to go faster,” he told her as he changed positions with her again. “If we get caught out here in the dark of night we can’t camp and we’ll freeze.” A gust of wind blew across the cliff face.
Alice nodded and he could see that she was frightened.
“You’ve been doing great, Alice. You’re going really carefully and that’s good. We just need to go faster.”
She opened her mouth to speak and another gust of wind took her breath away. She nodded instead and continued forward. Alice pulled her false beard over her face, beginning to understand why Joseph had abandoned shaving.
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