A New Day Rising by Lauraine Snelling

Author:Lauraine Snelling [Snelling, Lauraine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Red River of the North, Dakota Territory, Christian, Norwegian Americans, Westerns, Fiction, Romance, Sagas, Historical Fiction, Large Type Books, Frontier and Pioneer Life
ISBN: 9780764201929
Goodreads: 568951
Publisher: Walker Large Print
Published: 1996-01-02T06:00:00+00:00

By the time Metiz returned with a bundle on her back, Ingeborg and Kaaren had all the supplies ready. Haakan had come in from the field to help hold Lars down if need be. Ingeborg had put Andrew down for a nap with strict instructions to Thorliff that he must stay by the house to hear the baby when he woke.

"I'm not drunk, yet," Lars sang, a silly grin belying his words. He hefted the bottle and took another swig.

"I think I could use a swig of that, too," Haakan muttered for Ingeborg's ears alone.

She shot him a nod of agreement. Her stomach was doing small flip-flops at the thought of the work ahead. Would it be enough to just remove the toes? Or would they have to repeat it with the remainder of the foot? God, help us, guide us, and bring healing to this son of yours. And please, I'm so frightened. Give me strength. She caught Kaaren's eye and knew she'd been thinking and doing the same.

"Drink more." Metiz sat on a chair by the bed. "We use table?"

"I know," Kaaren answered. "I have a sheet ready to put on it. We can get more light over there. I have all the lamps ready to light."

Ingeborg looked around and saw that it was so. The room felt stifling with the fire going to heat plenty of water. The poker she'd brought back with her lay on top of the stove, ready to insert in the firebox. She closed her eyes at the sight of the knives, their edges gleaming in the lamplight, newly ground on the whetstone to a fine edge. Dear God, please get us through this.

"Are we ready then?" Haakan asked. At their nods, he leaned over the bed and slipped his arm under Lars' shoulders. "All right, my friend, let's get this over with. You use your strength, and I'll use mine, and we'll get you on that table before you pass out."

Lars mumbled some kind of answer but did as ordered. Once they had him standing on his good foot with his arms over the shoulders of Haakan and Ingeborg, they half carried, half walked him to the table, and he crumbled onto it. He slipped into unconsciousness from the alcohol and the pain of the jarring.

"You hold him." Metiz nodded to Ingeborg and Haakan.

"How about if we run a rope around him and the table from chest to foot?" Haakan asked.

"Good. You do."

Haakan wrapped a rope around the snoring man and the table. Then he and Ingeborg took their positions, Haakan beside the diminutive woman. With a quick slash, Metiz began the operation.

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