Courage by Joseph G. Udvari

other and that was our wolf replying.”
    Later the wolf cautiously moved toward the campfire and when it was only ten feet away, Jim held out his hand holding a chunk of roasted deer meat and the wolf slowly approached his hand and snatched it. He ran twenty feet or so away then lay down and began munching on it.
    They all had a good feeling about the wolf and for that matter the entire day had been a huge success.
    â€œYou know the wolf really behaves like a dog, it even looks a bit like a large German shepherd,” Jim said.
    â€œBut it still seems to be afraid of us,” Lucas replied.
    They cleaned up from their feast and Jim said,
    â€œWe need to raise the meat at least twenty feet above the ground to keep it safe from any predators.”
    They fashioned a sling from two t-shirts and the mosquito netting and placed the meat in it. Jim climbed the cedar tree and securely tied the meat on one of the branches. After climbing down he called for a family meeting.
    â€œI’ve been thinking, we may not be found before the real winter starts and we need to make a decision as a family regarding what we should do. Should we leave the camp and head down to the valley or stay here? I read somewhere that you should never leave the crash site, but this has to be a family decision. Winter will be rough, it will be cold and long and even then there is no guarantee that we’ll be found. We should think about this for a few days before we decide, it will need to be a majority decision.” Jim stopped talking and looked at his family with tears in his eyes.
    â€œDad can we go to the crash site and see if we can find something like a mirror, maybe we can signal with it?” Jill asked.
    â€œThat’s a great idea,” Mary responded.
    â€œTomorrow morning we’ll go to the crash site, there has to be something reflective, even if it’s only the windshield.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    The next morning dawned cold and bright, the sun was up in the east and there were no clouds in the sky.
    â€œI wish I had a camera,” Jim said in awe of the breathtaking scenery.
    â€œHoney, I packed a camera and batteries! We should look for them, maybe the batteries could be used to power the radio!” Mary said.
    â€œLet’s get a few chunks of roasted meat and we’ll have a picnic lunch at the crash site.”
    Jill and Lucas were playing a little distance away from Mary and Jim so they felt they could speak candidly with each other.
    â€œWhat do you think we should do?” Mary asked.
    â€œIt’s a tough decision; we could probably survive the winter here. We may have to move our camp to the actual crash site and use the plane fuselage as shelter, but I think we can do it. One deer would give us food for three or four weeks and we have plenty of water and firewood. However, the deer might move down into the valley as winter approaches. As I said, I think we could do it.”
    â€œWhat would happen if we started down to the valley?”
    â€œThat’s the unknown. I have no idea where we are; we could be east or west of the Rockies or east or west of the coastal mountains. Which way should we go? Here, at least we have a home, well sort of.”
    They arrived at the crash site, “Whatever you find, bring it here,” Jim pointed to a broken wing part. “Don’t wonder too far.”
    â€œMary, you and Jill should be together and look in the immediate area of the site. Lucas you take this area,” he drew an imaginary radius with his hand, “and I’ll go further out.”
    Bits and pieces of the plane were scattered all over for about a quarter mile area. All sorts of things were found, none of any apparent use. “Dad, look here!” Lucas hollered. Jim ran to the spot where Lucas was standing, proudly indicating the entire windshield partially covered with dirt and leaves. Lucas wiped the debris from the windshield and buried beneath was the