Mallory.
Mallory said a blessing silently and then watched the others to see what they would do. They were picking up their meat with their fingers and biting into it, so she did the same. It was tough and had a wild taste to it. “Very good,” she said. “What is it?”
“Why, it’s reindeer meat!” Remu said.
“You’ll get lots of that around here.” Orva said with a grin. “Fried or boiled or raw. That’s what you’ll eat.”
“You live off the reindeer, then.”
“Yes,” Jagg said. “We make our clothes and tents from their hide. We eat their meat and drink their milk.”
“How many reindeer do you have, Jagg?”
Apparently this question was too difficult, for Jagg thought hard, then said, “Many.”
“I know,” Lorge said. “We’ve got six hundred and twenty-three. My father’s a very rich man.”
“I’m glad to hear that. It must be nice to have so many reindeer.”
After the meal was over, Orva disappeared and Lorge offered to show Mallory around. She took advantage of the boy’s hospitality and spent the afternoon wandering through the camp with him. “How do you know which reindeer are yours?” she asked as they approached a massive herd.
“We cut their ears with a special mark.” He showed her his family’s mark on the nearest animal.
“I see.”
Lorge peppered Mallory with questions too, and she enjoyed their conversation, finding him a bright and curious young man.
“Do you think you’ll ever leave here?” Mallory asked.
“And go where?”
“Maybe go to work in a city.”
“No, I like it here,” Lorge said. “This is my country, and these are my people.”
Late in the afternoon, the family had another meal of reindeer meat. Mallory brought out some cans of vegetables from the sled and opened them up to share with the family, and they were delighted to eat them. They must get awfully hungry for green things, she thought. I know I would.
After supper, the rest of the family relaxed around the fire while Remu worked on a pair of reindeer mittens she was sewing.
“Too much trouble to put up the tent,” Orva told Mallory as Mayda opened her mouth in a huge yawn. “You sleep here.”
The fire was now very small, and the cold was closing in. She’d had no intention of sleeping with the family, but Orva took it for granted.
Mallory went to the sled to get her sleeping bag, then lay down where Remu indicated she should sleep. She was so exhausted the sound of voices quickly began to fade as she felt a body pressed against her on one side and then on the other. The smell was awful, but she had to admit that in the bitter cold, two were definitely better than one, and a whole family was better than two. She knew she would have a hard time adjusting to this life, but it was where God had put her, so she ignored the unaccustomed smells and drifted off to sleep.
****
A week had passed since Mallory and Orva had arrived, and Mallory was concerned at how quickly her food supplies were dwindling. She realized that she would soon be reduced to the same diet as the Lapps, and she dreaded it.
She was sitting quietly by the fire with Remu, toasting a bit of reindeer meat, when Orva appeared with a man. He was short and squat, as were all the Lapps, but somewhat older than Jagg, Mallory thought.
“This is Tarjin,” Orva said.
“I am glad to know you, Tarjin.”
“Tarjin is worried about you.”
“Worried! Why would he be worried about me?”
Orva’s face was expressionless except for a light of humor glinting in her dark eyes. “I told him you had no man, so he says you can be his number two wife.”
“What!”
“Don’t worry. His first wife is old. When she dies, you’ll be number one. He has more than four hundred reindeer.” Orva grinned at her mother. “You’d better take him up on his offer. It’s a good one.”
Mallory could see that Orva was making fun of her, and she resolved not to let it get to her. Hoping she was not offending the man,
Mallory said a blessing silently and then watched the others to see what they would do. They were picking up their meat with their fingers and biting into it, so she did the same. It was tough and had a wild taste to it. “Very good,” she said. “What is it?”
“Why, it’s reindeer meat!” Remu said.
“You’ll get lots of that around here.” Orva said with a grin. “Fried or boiled or raw. That’s what you’ll eat.”
“You live off the reindeer, then.”
“Yes,” Jagg said. “We make our clothes and tents from their hide. We eat their meat and drink their milk.”
“How many reindeer do you have, Jagg?”
Apparently this question was too difficult, for Jagg thought hard, then said, “Many.”
“I know,” Lorge said. “We’ve got six hundred and twenty-three. My father’s a very rich man.”
“I’m glad to hear that. It must be nice to have so many reindeer.”
After the meal was over, Orva disappeared and Lorge offered to show Mallory around. She took advantage of the boy’s hospitality and spent the afternoon wandering through the camp with him. “How do you know which reindeer are yours?” she asked as they approached a massive herd.
“We cut their ears with a special mark.” He showed her his family’s mark on the nearest animal.
“I see.”
Lorge peppered Mallory with questions too, and she enjoyed their conversation, finding him a bright and curious young man.
“Do you think you’ll ever leave here?” Mallory asked.
“And go where?”
“Maybe go to work in a city.”
“No, I like it here,” Lorge said. “This is my country, and these are my people.”
Late in the afternoon, the family had another meal of reindeer meat. Mallory brought out some cans of vegetables from the sled and opened them up to share with the family, and they were delighted to eat them. They must get awfully hungry for green things, she thought. I know I would.
After supper, the rest of the family relaxed around the fire while Remu worked on a pair of reindeer mittens she was sewing.
“Too much trouble to put up the tent,” Orva told Mallory as Mayda opened her mouth in a huge yawn. “You sleep here.”
The fire was now very small, and the cold was closing in. She’d had no intention of sleeping with the family, but Orva took it for granted.
Mallory went to the sled to get her sleeping bag, then lay down where Remu indicated she should sleep. She was so exhausted the sound of voices quickly began to fade as she felt a body pressed against her on one side and then on the other. The smell was awful, but she had to admit that in the bitter cold, two were definitely better than one, and a whole family was better than two. She knew she would have a hard time adjusting to this life, but it was where God had put her, so she ignored the unaccustomed smells and drifted off to sleep.
****
A week had passed since Mallory and Orva had arrived, and Mallory was concerned at how quickly her food supplies were dwindling. She realized that she would soon be reduced to the same diet as the Lapps, and she dreaded it.
She was sitting quietly by the fire with Remu, toasting a bit of reindeer meat, when Orva appeared with a man. He was short and squat, as were all the Lapps, but somewhat older than Jagg, Mallory thought.
“This is Tarjin,” Orva said.
“I am glad to know you, Tarjin.”
“Tarjin is worried about you.”
“Worried! Why would he be worried about me?”
Orva’s face was expressionless except for a light of humor glinting in her dark eyes. “I told him you had no man, so he says you can be his number two wife.”
“What!”
“Don’t worry. His first wife is old. When she dies, you’ll be number one. He has more than four hundred reindeer.” Orva grinned at her mother. “You’d better take him up on his offer. It’s a good one.”
Mallory could see that Orva was making fun of her, and she resolved not to let it get to her. Hoping she was not offending the man,
Similar Books
