Kidnapped on the High Planes by D.W. Powell

Author:D.W. Powell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ginger Marks
Published: 2023-05-04T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

BEFORE WE KNEW it, the bugler was playing revile. It was time to get up and get going for another full day. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon, and I thought to myself, what a beautiful day for a brand-new adventure.

The first order of the day was to get myself cleaned up. I grabbed my morning bag that contained soap, washcloth, toothbrush, no-smell stick deodorant, towel, and clean clothes for the day and headed outside to the latrine. I wasn’t prepared for how cold it was here on the high plains of New Mexico that early in the morning. I had to reach back into the tent and get my fleece jacket and my hat.

The hike to the latrine was short and I could see other boys coming and going from the building in a steady line. The latrine was like a huge cavern that when you walked into it you had to wonder if there was a way out. A line of showers ran down the whole length of the rear wall. I located an empty stall, undressed, and stepped into a hot shower. It was the first one I had had in a couple of days on the trip on the train. A sink bath with a washcloth and a bar of soap will never replace a good hot shower. I looked at my watch and saw that I would be late for breakfast if I didn’t get a move on. I yelled to John that we were running late, and I didn’t want to miss breakfast.

He yelled back that he was dressed and waiting for me. I left the comfort of the hot shower to dry off, dress quickly and head back out into the cold air of the high plains. John and I ran back to our tent and dropped off our shower stuff and dirty clothes.

Now dressed in long pants that had legs that would zip off and my fleece jacket to stay warm in the morning cold, we headed over to the camper dining hall for breakfast with the rest of the Tribe.

Breakfast was pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, and a glass of apple juice. Man, oh man was I ever hungry!

After breakfast it was another trip to the Health Lodge for another check-in. Everything went well and everyone checked out, even all the adults. On the way back to our tents to retrieve our packs, we saw something that caught everyone’s eye. There, right in the middle of camp were two mule deer standing on their hind legs reaching for the apples on the trees that grew in the courtyard. I had never seen a mule deer and couldn’t believe they were so big. We knew they were mule deer because of their large mule-like ears, reddish bodies, and black-tipped tails.

The whole Tribe stood in amazement and watched until Ranger Bud yelled, “Were burning daylight—Gentlemen!” It was back to our tent double-time to grab our packs and meet under the cottonwood trees in the courtyard for a shake down.

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