Early Candlelight

III

111 HE was unaware, of course, of what the day held, Sbut she was up when reveille sounded faintly from the fort. She dragged off the buffalo robe under which her brothers slept, snuggled into straw at the other end of the loft, and inserted brown, inexorable toes beneath the ribs of George Washington DuGay. “Up with you, darlin’.” She swung down the ladder and washed, and attended to Andy. She swept out the single room, pausing in the doorway to lean on her homemade hickory broom and survey the rising sun. It was only a red blur in a moist gray sky, and conveyed less hint of warmth than the thread of smoke which spiraled from the Agency chimney . Since her mother was already busy at the loom, she made the morning coffee, of burned crusts boiled in water. Then the boys piled down and the family assembled for breakfast, a babble of voices filling the cabin to its eaves. They were all there save Narcisse and Amable and Hypolite, who had left for their winter posts. When the wooden bowls were cleaned and put away, Deedee and the boys burst out the cabin door. The sun was higher now, but the morning was still raw. Indian summer had ended. The slow procession of days, mellow, acridly fragrant, warmed by a sunIII SHE was unaware, of course, of what the day held, but she was up when reveille sounded faintly from the fort. She dragged off the buffalo robe under which her brothers slept, snuggled into straw at the other end of the loft, and inserted brown, inexorable toes beneath the ribs of George Washington DuGay. "Up with you, darlin·..• She swung down the ladder and washed. and attended to Andy. She swept out the single room, pausing in the doorway to lean on her homemade hickory broom and survey the rising sun. It was only a red blur in a moist gray sky, and conveyed less hint of warmth than the thread of smoke which spiraled from the Agency chimney . Since her mother was already busy at the loom, she made the morning coffee, of burned crusts boiled in water. Then the boys piled down and the family assembled for breakfast, a babble of voices filling the cabin to its eaves. They were all there save Narcisse and Amable and Hypolite, who had left for their winter posts. When the wooden bowls were cleaned and put away, Deedee and the boys burst out the cabin door. The sun was higher now, hut the morning was still raw. Indian summer had ended. The slow procession of days, mellow, acridly fragrant, warmed by a sun24 III SHE was unaware, of course, of what the day held, but she was up when reveille sounded faintly from the fort. She dragged off the buffalo robe under which her brothers slept, snuggled into straw at the other end of the loft, and inserted brown, inexorable toes beneath the ribs of George Washington DuGay. "Up with you, darlin·..• She swung down the ladder and washed, and attended to Andy. She swept out the single room, pausing in the doorway to lean on her homemade hickory broom and survey the rising sun. It was only a red blur in a moist gray sky, and conveyed less hint of warmth than the thread of smoke which spiraled from the Agency chimney . Since her mother was already busy at the loom, she made the morning coffee, of burned crusts boiled in water. Then the boys piled down and the family assembled for breakfast, a babble of voices filling the cabin to its eaves. They were all there save Narcisse and Amable and Hypolite, who had left for their winter posts. When the wooden bowls were cleaned and put away, Deedee and the boys burst out the cabin door. The sun was higher now, but the morning was still raw. Indian summer had ended. The slow procession of days, mellow, acridly fragrant, warmed by a sun- EARLY CANDLELIGHT 25 shine which clung like golden smoke, had come to a close. The pageantry of brightly colored trees along the river valleys had disappeared like a parade abruptly turning a corner. Only the burr oaks still flaunted some battered autumn leaves. The rivers were mushy, morning and evening, although they thawed at midday. Chipmunks had vanished underground. Muskrats came out to sit on the tops of their houses. Ducks and geese made patterns of wild black beauty in the sky...