Northern Nights by Theresa Scott

Author:Theresa Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, historical, native american, baby, cowboy, kidnap, indian, frontier, theresa scott
Publisher: Theresa Scott

Chapter Fourteen

The Haida people of the village had done all they could to save Isaac’s life. His father had provided plump halibut fish to make a nourishing broth. His aunt had Isaac carried to the warm springs that pooled in the black rocks not far from the village. There, slaves had carefully laid him in the soothing, healing waters. But when a long soaking in the sulphurous waters did not appear to do anything, they carried Isaac back to his longhouse. The shaman, a sticklike man, his bushy, long hair sticking out all over his head, had come to help. He boiled and mashed fern roots and placed them on all the swellings of Isaac’s body.

By the fourth day it appeared that their efforts were failing. Isaac sank deeper and deeper into a coma, and his breathing was shallow. William was beside himself. He did not want to lose his cousin and best friend now, not after bringing him back from the Tsimshian village. After some thought, he went to talk with Many Salmon.

Together, Isaac’s father and William decided that they must ask the shaman to do more. Accordingly, the shaman was summoned.

In preparation, Isaac was laid out on a cedar mat near the fire pit where it was very warm. The shaman blew his breath on all the swollen parts of Isaac’s body. Then he went to the door of the longhouse and blew the air out in a great gasp. He returned to tell the anxiously awaiting audience, “I have blown the poison out of the patient’s body. He will now recover.”

Unfortunately, the poison came back and Isaac grew even worse. His aunt rocked to and fro, crying, and her women and slaves cried with her. At last Many Salmon held up a hand and said, “My sister, please tell your women to stop their crying. My son is not yet dead. He can hear you, and your cries will convince him that he has died. There is still hope, and I ask that you refrain from giving up.”

The aunt’s sobs faded away and she wiped her eyes and did as he asked. All her women wiped their eyes and ceased their keening.

Then Many Salmon asked the shaman to fetch Isaac’s soul as it had obviously gone away from his body and was no doubt trying to find the land of the dead. Payment was negotiated, and Many Salmon agreed to pay a score of blankets. Then the shaman went into a deep trance. When the trance was over, he opened his eyes.

And so did Isaac.

“Your son is restored to you,” the shaman told Many Salmon.

Many Salmon nodded and waved his hand at a retainer. The man hurried over, and Many Salmon spoke in low tones to him. Soon a mound of blankets was piled high in front of the shaman, far more than the twenty blankets promised. The shaman rose and took his payment and left the longhouse.

Isaac sat up. “What am I doing here?” he asked in a daze.

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