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Show 50 meningitis•" I did not know what to say. It was a horrible death, I knew. Even deep in my tunnel at Canyon City I had heard screaming in the night from that killer. The first time I thought I had dreamed it, until I heard someone say, "It was spinal meningitis last night." "I'm sorry about your mother," I said. "Pansy said we would leave the next morning," the boy continued. "But the next morning when I woke up, they were gone." "How long ago?" "Last week before the snowstorm. I think they are waiting for me a t The Scales, but this i s the f i r s t day the t r a i l has been open. I ' l l catch up with them soon." I knew, and I suppose he knew, that you never catch up with someone who doesn't want you. But i t was too d i f f i c u l t to say. "Why don't you go back home?" I asked. "To Juneau. Where you got on the ship." "Juneau i s n ' t my home," he said, "any more than Sheep Camp, We traveled," He was about to cry, poor kid. "While you are looking for your friends," I said, "do you want to join up with me? I relay my gear, so I'm slow. You could help me. Or just be a t e n t - s i t t i n g partner. Doesn't matter." He said yes so fast I did not know what to say next. "Well," I stammered, "what's your name?" |
