Daughter of Ishmael by Diane Stringam Tolley

Author:Diane Stringam Tolley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing
Published: 2016-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

A

CHAPTER 19

Less than a week later, they were all once again in a caravan, making their way out of the canyon and into the dusty, scrubby grasslands interspersed with rocky outcroppings and large hills that covered the land for miles.

Father Lehi had explained that, unlike their outward journey to the Valley of Lemuel, they would not be able to always stay in the borders near the Red Sea, but instead would be heading east and southeast, trusting in the Lord to bring them to places of water and game.

For the first few days, according to the brass ball, they did travel east, with occasional diversions to go around hills and other natural formations. Hannah’s fellow travelers seemed cheerful and excited over every new feature in this unknown landscape. They were traveling with the Lord, and the feeling was euphoric.

Up until this time, they had been able to hunt for their food, having no problem finding sufficient game to feed them all. And, though they were unable to light fires due to lack of wood or dung or because of the threat of raiders, the animals they killed were somehow rendered edible, even without cooking.

Hannah called it a miracle, as did the majority of their group. Laman dismissed it as a different type of animal common out here in the desert and as usual, despite Hannah’s coaxing, Lemuel agreed.

They were fed and strengthened in their daily toil, in their setups and takedowns, in their eating and drinking and finding forage for their animals. The great brass ball directed them to the more fertile parts of the wilderness, and though Father Lehi had said they would be leaving the borders of the Red Sea, they were still quite close and taking advantage of the comparative abundance in this part of the land.

All seemed as it was meant to be. All was peace. Then, several days after starting out, something changed.

Their caravan had camped in a quiet spot. Laman and Lemuel, usually the archers in the group, had both lost the use of their bows. Hannah did not understand exactly what had happened, only that they no longer had any spring. Only Nephi’s bow—crafted of fine steel—had remained usable. But on this day, as he had sighted on a lone gazelle on a mountaintop, his bow had snapped in two just as the arrow had left the string. Shards of the bow had scraped up his chin and one side of his face, and the arrow, which had gone far wide of its mark, disappeared over the cliff. The brothers had come home bloodied, empty handed, and completely discouraged.

The camp, especially the children, suffered for the lack of food.

Complaints were voluble, most particularly those of Laman, Lemuel, and Hannah’s brothers.

Once again, Father Lehi was cursed for dragging everyone out into this land that even the Lord Himself had forgotten.

Hannah was holding her brother’s son, Thaddeus, rocking him as he cried from hunger, and trying to get him to take sips of water instead. The small boy could not be distracted and was wailing brokenheartedly.

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