Chapter 1 Father Leaves
It started snowing that winter, not light fluffy snow, but a hard-blowing blizzard from the north. Mother was inside preparing the stew and father was outside in the barn putting Jack and Bonney in their stalls, he checked on Bessie the cow and her calf, we had not named him yet, but he was a boy! James came in from the cold and said that he had tightened the rope between the outhouse and the back porch, but Mother warned all of us to use the chamber pot beside our beds and not go out at night.
"Margaret, I am in now. We can shut the doors and meet in the parlor!" Father called out. Mother had just put the stew on the table and the fresh bread as well. She came into the parlor where James, my older brother who was 13 years old, was. I was 11 and Mary was 6 and John the youngest was only 2 years old. Mother was expecting her fifth child next spring, and we were all excited. But it was December 15 ten days before Christmas, and we were in the beginning of a blizzard in the great mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Father had to leave the next day for Seattle on business. Mother was worried that the snow might be too much for him to leave. But he left the next morning. It took three days to get to Seattle and 3 days to return. He said he would be back in time for Christmas.
Father did not return for a week; it was almost Christmas. The snow had stopped and now it was just rain. We took care of the animals and the farm while we waited for Father's return. James and I helped Mother. Mary took care of John when Mother was busy cooking. We kept hoping that Father would return. Mother put the candle on the window sill and hoped that Father would see it. Christmas Eve and Father still had not returned. We wondered what had happened to him. Late that night we heard a loud crash on the cabin door. James thought of himself as the 'man of the family' and therefore went to see what happened. A man was lying on the ground in front of our door. We brought him in, and Mother put him on our bed. We only had one bed that we all shared until Father could get home and make a bigger place.
"My, my son, where, where is he!" The man said as soon as he had warmed up. James looked at Mother and Mother said:
"Go, check outside and see if there is someone else out there as well!" James went to put his coat on and went out the door with the lantern. He looked over by the wagon and then under the wagon. He saw no one except he did notice something moving by the horses. My brother found him and saw that he looked as wretched as his father. So, he took the boy by the hand and brought him inside as well. Mother put him in the bed beside his father and made a simple broth to help take the chill off. We remained awake the rest of that night.
Christmas day came and went; Father had still not gotten home. The man was finally feeling better and thanked us. He said his name was Jonathan Bolt and his son was Jason Bolt. They had been working on their mountain when the storm hit and somehow got caught in the snow and got lots. They headed northward not sure which way they were going.
"I was looking for the river then I spied a river and saw your cabin, with a light in the window. Ach, I say, mayhap it might be a good and kindly family?" We were both hungry, we had not eaten for several days. My wife, she is probably beside herself with worry!" He said as he sipped the willow bark tea mother had made for him and the young child who wasn't quite as young as we had first thought. James had waited until the boy was feeling better and then asked his name and age. They discovered that they were the same age and then well, what happens when a boy finds a friend, a companion? There was no rest to their boyish chatter.
"My name is Jason Bolt!" said the boy, he had brown hair and very deep blue eyes. I was instantly enamored of him. But I would not say so, I was only 11 at the time and wanted nothing to do with boys, well except maybe inside my secret place! I was content to listen to the chatter and sit by my mother when we sat and talked.
"I see you have 4 children and another on the way! Could you tell me where your husband is?" Jonathan Bolt asked my mother. She smiled at him and said:
"Sir, he went to Seattle over a week ago and we have not seen him since! We have the candle in the window for him, and indeed since it is Christmas for the Christ child as well!" she said as she sat mending the boy's socks so that he would have warm socks when they left. She had given me James's socks as well. So, I too was mending.
"I do not recall seeing anyone that we did not know in Seattle last week, however, he may have gotten lost, When we leave tomorrow, we will certainly look for him. Do you know the way he took?" He asked Mother who sat for a moment and then said.
"It seems to me that he took the very same path that we followed when we arrived here." Mr. Bolt looked at his son Jason and said:
"Jason, do you think that is the path we were on but going in the opposite direction?" Mr. Bolt looked at his son. This question was a test, Jason could find his way around the mountain that was Bridal Veil Mountain and knew every path and trail. He had spent a lot of time out on the mountain and learned as much as he could. He had friends who were Duwamish and they also showed him many trails.
"Yes, Da, I think if we go back the way we came, it may get us home sooner." There was still that Scottish accent that Mother and Father had as well. My heart skipped a beat, but, I hid my feelings, I was only ten after all!
They left the next day when there was a light misty rain that later broke into the sunshine. Mother had them take the only horse that we had left since Father had taken Jack. Hoolan was her name, and she was the fastest horse that anyone ever knew. She was big enough that both Jonathan Bolt and Jason Bolt could ride on her without her getting too tired. They said goodbye and said they would keep an eye out for Father.
Chapter 2 Father is found
Jonathan Bolt and Jason Bolt rode Hoolan for about two miles when they noticed that Hoolan was not following the trail. He tried to steer her back to the trail, but she refused. He was about to stop and get off the horse when Jason spied another horse.
"DA! Look!" Jason pointed to a horse standing in a meadow with rocks and trees. Jonathan Bolt found that Hoolan was easy to steer toward the other horse. When they arrived, Jason slid off and his father got off the horse as well. They looked around and the two horses nuzzled each other and then started to walk towards a steep embankment. Jonathan looked down and saw a man lying face down at the bottom. He immediately looked for a way down to see if the man was all right. Jason stayed by the horses.
"Jason, I need you to find some long branches, we will need to make something to be able to pull him up to the top. He is still breathing but until we can get a good look I am not sure what else to do." Jason nodded and looked around gathering two long almost straight branches, heavy enough to hold a man. Then gathering some other smaller branches with leaves, he quickly made a litter for the man. He placed one end of the rope that he always carried on the saddle of Jack, and then tied the other end to the litter, then he pushed it down the hill toward his father and waited for further instructions.
As he waited for his father to place the man on the litter, he thought about the rope. When he was about 9 or 10 he had been playing with some Duwamish friends when one of them had fallen down a hill, he had a rope that they were using to catch small rabbits and such and he took the rope and sent it down to his friend. He and a couple of others were able to pull his friend up the hill. After that, he always had a length of rope that he either carried over his shoulder or on his belt in case it was ever needed.
They got the man up the hill and then waited to let the horses rest as well as the man. Jonathan wanted to be sure there were no broken bones or other injuries as well. The man did not respond to anything that was happening to him. Jonathon was not sure if it was good or not. But he had to try. This man might be the father those children were waiting for. They camped there on that hill for the night. Jonathan and Jason made a makeshift tent for the man, and they sat watching him.
"Jason, my son, I am going to sleep a little before we have to leave, we will go to Seattle with him, and then you can come back to let his wife and children know where he is," Jonathon said as he lay down on his bedroll. Jason sat up and watched the night sky, hoping that the man would be okay. He wondered about the girl, James' sister Matilda. They called her Tilly as a nickname. He wondered if maybe someday he might get to know her. She was kind of pretty for a ten-year-old, maybe, in a couple of years, his thoughts trailed off and he listened to the night sounds.
The morning came and it was dry but cold. Jonathon woke up to the smell of fresh coffee that Jason had made. There was a sound from under the makeshift tent and Jonathan went over to check on the man.
"Hello, sir, my name is Jonathan Bolt!" Jonathan said to the man.
"H-h-hello, I canna stan at the moment, else I would stand up and shake yer hand!" said the man
"Would you be telling me your name?" Asked Jonathon.
"I am James McConnell, sir!" He said. Jonathan helped him to sit up and gave him a sip of coffee.
"Thank You Mr. Bolt…"
"Please call me Jonathon. Your wife and children are worried for you. They took care of me and my son for a couple of days, it is only right that we take care of you, no?" Jonathon said and James McConnell agreed. After having some breakfast consisting of some biscuits and coffee, they got on the horses and headed for Seattle. Mr. McConnell was still on the litter. He could not walk but was feeling a lot better.
They made it to Seattle and after Jason had some time to rest he was sent back out to bring the McConnell family to Seattle.
Young Mr. Bolt arrived at our cabin 3 days later and had a wagon for us to ride in. Our horses, Jack and Hoolan were still in Seattle, and we would be returning with them shortly. Mother rode inside the wagon along with James. I sat next to Jason and started to tease him a bit. Sure, I was too young to be thinking of marriage but maybe a friendship would be the thing at this time. After all, I could marry him later when I was of age.
"So, Tilly what do you think about living in Seattle?" Jason Bolt asked, just out of curiosity.
"I would rather live out in the wild, like where our cabin is!" I said as he drove the wagon on the trail.
"Why is that?" He asked as he watched the horses plodding along the trail.
"I like being out in the open and I do not like cities, they are crowded, and you cannot see the trees for all the buildings and people!" Jason nodded; he liked the wilderness as well. Living in a city was not his idea either. 'She has potential' he thought. Then he asked:
"What would you do if you had to live in the city for a little while?" Jason asked. I thought about it but wasn't quite sure what to answer so I said something like:
"I suppose if Mother and Father were there, it would be all right!" They soon were at the saloon/hotel and were taken to their fathers' room. He was in bed still. The doctor had come and seen him and said that he should be getting up and moving around a bit more. Mother went over to him and sat with him. Then he asked if we could be with him as well.
"Children, Maggie, I want to let you know, that we will not be going back to the cabin until spring. The doctor has said that I must stay in town until the weather warms up and I have gained my strength." James said.
"What happened DA?" I asked in my innocence. He did not tell me all that had really happened, but he said:
"Jack and I were coming home, and it was getting wet and cold. I had some gifts that I had bought for you but due to a slight accident, Jack reared, and I fell off and over the hill!"
We all were thankful that he had not been killed. The Bolts were gracious enough to help us with procuring a small house nearby. Mother went to work at the Saloon cooking meals for those travelers who would come to Seattle on their way to other places. Since James was old enough, Mr. Bolt took him over to a lumber company and had him start working with Jason in the lumber business until it was time to leave. Jason was glad to have a companion of his own age to work with and they both got along well. Instead of staying just that one winter, we also stayed another year. It seemed that the place we had seen had already been purchased so we had to look for another place.