Christmas at Log Fire Cabins by CP Ward

Author:CP Ward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AMMFA Publishing

15

Campfire Confessions

‘You’re a madman,’ Clive gasped. ‘We could have sunk to the bottom of that lake and never been seen again!’

William shrugged. ‘Well, wouldn’t that have been a draw for future tourists? Perhaps entwined with a legend about our ghosts gathering on the island at midnight?’

‘How are we going to get back across?’

William climbed out of his seat and jumped down. He lifted a hand to shield his eyes and stared back down the slope at the lake. From here, it appeared to be a perfect sheet of ice before the far bank rose up to join with the forest. Sophie spotted the hut where they had enjoyed lunch only a couple of hours ago set back among the trees.

‘Right,’ William said, turning around and spreading his arms dramatically. Sophie sensed he was enjoying every moment of this. ‘The weather, as you know, can be a little unpredictable. I’m afraid we have misjudged the depth of the ice, and therefore in order to be sure that it’ll hold the sleigh going back, we will overnight here, giving the ice another night to freeze and thicken.’

Clive and Kevin both jumped up. ‘Are you crazy?’ Clive said.

‘Baxter, think logically,’ Kevin said. ‘It might not hold a sleigh, but it’ll be okay to hold people, right? We just go back in single file, one by one. Do you have a rope or something?’

William appeared to lose his composure for a moment, perhaps not expecting to have someone with Kevin’s life-saving expertise on the trip. He grimaced, then looked at the ice.

‘It’s too great a risk,’ he said. ‘However, we have a contingency plan. In case of such situations, we have an emergency store on this island—’

‘You just make sure everyone’s spaced far enough apart—’

‘Dad, hush,’ Sophie said, putting a hand on Kevin’s arm. ‘I think this is part of the tour.’

‘It better be,’ Kevin said, scowling, but he did as Sophie asked and fell quiet.

‘If you’d like to get down from the sleigh, we’ll see what we can do.’

Just over the brow of the hill was a viewing picnic area with a wooden bandstand roof that left a couple of picnic tables free from snow. William opened a hatch in the side of the sleigh and pulled out two boxes which he had Kevin and Clive carry over to the dry area.

‘Our survival gear,’ he announced.

‘Let’s have a look then,’ Kevin said, opening the lid. ‘Huh. Camping gear, sleeping bags, barbeque equipment … my word, you even have a portable toilet in here.’ He turned to William. ‘Are you sure this isn’t a setup, Baxter?’

William gave Kevin a disarming smile. ‘Of course not. But you should always be prepared when you head into the wilderness.’

‘Too right. That’s what they taught us in the service.’

‘Oh? Which service was that?’

‘The fire service.’

‘Well, in that case, I’ll put you in charge of starting the barbeque. Although you might prefer to be on clean-up duty?’

‘What?’

‘Since you specialise in putting fires out?’

‘You’re quite the comedian, Baxter.’

With a smile, William said, ‘I do my best.

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