Page 17 (1/2)

"Come in, Thomas Is someone in labor?"

The tall man, an oak like his h the door Cold radiates off his green mackinaw, and flakes of ice shed on the floor

"It’s bad, Miss Patience There’s a baby co first It’s Cassie Washington This is her fourth child,for three hours, and the aunties say the baby’s arot to coe," I offer, "and cut past the Harpers’ through the woods, until we hit the south fork of Horse Shoe Run It will take an hour if we hurry"

"If you’re going, I lad on this dark night to have her coet the extra people out of the bedroom, and deal with Mrs Potts, who may or may not be happy to see otten about the ice

"Dale, but Thohtly on the forearm and pulls me up

"You be careful now, Miss Patience," he says His hand is bare and warernails, and I wonder if he has any mittens Then I notice that Bitsy’s hands are bare too The night is just a little below freezing, but I’loves, and scarf that I knit myself

"Are we going to be able to h this ice?"

Thoals did okay on the way here The ice is ine the birth scene, a wo She’s crying and trying to push, but nothing happens

Thoer of the animals and puts Bitsy behind er woman’s hands so they’re under my arms where they can stay warm

Twenty minutes later we’re at the crossroads of Wild Rose and Raccoon Lick When the le like broken arms everywhere Down the slope the Hope River roars, an invisible lion Three tie branch off the road

Anothertree-lined drive The crunch, crunch, crunch of the burros’ hooves sounds like broken glass under their feet, and I estimate that the flakes of ice are two inches deep At the Harpers’, dogs bark, but no lights co barn, we cut into the woods and follow the south branch of Horse Shoe Run Here in the dense spruce and hardwood forest, branches are crashing down everywhere I look up and realize the danger we’re in