Belle sighed.“Unfortunately, no.We need rocks and mud.The men dig down to the permafrost, which is about two feet below the surface in most places in Central Alaska, and then they stack rocks all around it.We ladies fill in mud around the rocks, and then we have a cold house.Well, the men put the door on, of course.”
“Sounds like it’s a lot of work.With us already having two, will the men complain if I ask for another?”
Belle laughed.“The men never complain.They probably should, but they don’t.They’re so happy to have wives that they just go along with what we ask for.”
“Sounds good to me!”
“I’ll talk to Everett about it tonight.If we can gather some rocks tomorrow, I would bet they’d build it on Saturday.”
“Really?They’d do it that fast?”
“If there are no other building projects, yes.They want to dig before the ground gets harder.Winter is right around the corner, and they will not want to dig after the surface is frozen.You’ll have to feed everyone, though.We’ll all come to your place.Once the men have done their part, we’ll do ours.Then you serve us supper.”
Lula sighed.“I hate cooking.But I am good at it.I’ll make venison stew and beg Myrtle to bake a few loaves of bread to go with it.”
“That would be perfect.We won’t all fit inside your cabin to eat, so the men will make a table with sawhorses, and we’ll drag your chairs outside.I even have a bench at my house the men will bring.”
“That sounds good to me.”Lula sighed.“Do you think I can talk Myrtle into dessertandbread?”
“I don’t think it will take much convincing at all.”Belle led the way into the small open field where she’d last seen deer tracks.“Let’s see where these take us.”
“Hopefully, to the deer.Can I say how excited I am that I can sell some of the meat I hunt?”
“Obviously, you can because you just did.”
Lula chuckled softly.“Let’s find some deer.”
They went home empty-handed that afternoon, but Lula didn’t mind.They’d had two good hunts already.It was time for a day not to turn out as they hoped.
When Belle headed home to cook supper for her family, Lula headed into town.Before she put her plans in motion, she wanted to make certain Katie would sell the meat.
Katie was closing up as Lula headed into the shop.“I have a question for you,” Lula said to the woman as she turned the sign in the window to close.
“What’s that?”Katie asked.
“My task with our group is to hunt.Would you be willing to sell the extra meat if I get more than we can eat?”
Katie grinned and nodded emphatically.“I’ve been hoping one of you would be willing to bring me fresh meat.I’d buy some for Bernard and me, and some for the store.Any surplus you have, I will gladly take.”She rubbed her hands together.“And when the pigs that Sally is raising are old enough to slaughter...well, I’ll be happier than a pig in slop!”
“Wonderful!”Lula responded.“I want to be able to help contribute financially, not just to our food stores.And bacon.Who doesn’t want bacon?”
“I want bacon!I think you’ve found the perfect way to contribute.If you like hunting, that is.”
“I love to hunt.I get to be outdoors, and I can set my own schedule.Hunting makes me happier than anything else.”It was true.The only thing that had truly made her happy since Bill’s death was hunting, and she’d hunted every chance she got.Not many people in Massachusetts thought favorably of a woman hunting, but here...it seemed to be considered normal.“I’d better get home and cook supper.I’m making a venison stew tonight.”
“Oh, venison sounds good!We mostly live on fish.”
“I’ll bring venison as soon as I shoot a deer,” Lula promised.
“I will happily pay for it, but I can’t promise to sell it.”
As Lula hurried home, she thought about how nice it was to be able to work at what she loved instead of staying in the house all day.She didn’t mind the cold, and she said a quick prayer that the winter would be mild enough that she could still hunt as often as possible.
She quickly cut the venison into small pieces and browned it before adding the potatoes and carrots that had magically appeared on her table while she was gone.There was even a loaf of bread.She realized more and more that she loved the way their little business was run.It made things easy for all of them.
By the time Sebastian arrived home, supper was waiting.He walked in and sniffed deeply.“That smells delicious.”
“Oh, trust me, it is.”Lula served two bowls and put them on the table where the loaf of bread waited while Sebastian washed up for the meal.
