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Rolf shrugged. “Not much makes sense.”

He carried the yoke over to the oxen and hitched them to the plough. Erik laid boards across the well hole, setting rocks on top to hold them in place. It was just as he feared. All that digging and carrying – and no water.

At least the slough was full. Erik carried water from the slough to fill the barrels by the house. When the barrels were full, he fished out a couple of duck feathers, then watered Tess and her heifer.

Rolf helped Mr. Johnson with his seeding in return for borrowing his harrows. He seeded their own land by hand, half to wheat and half to oats. Erik followed behind with Black and Socks pulling the harrows to smooth the soil and cover the seed.

When they were finished, Rolf harrowed for another neighbour, the same man he’d stooked for in the fall.

Erik always found work to do at home. One day he dug holes in the garden as Elsa dropped in pieces of potato. Another day he applied a new coat of whitewash to the inside of the house. He planned to find trees to start a windbreak behind the house, as soon as he had time.

His first two trees had bright green leaves. His biggest fear was that something would eat them. They should build a fence, or get a dog. A dog would keep the coyotes from the chickens and the rabbits from the garden. He just didn’t know where to get one.

When the wheat showed above ground, Erik started tethering the cattle again, to keep them from eating the new plants. One afternoon when Erik went to lead Tess to the slough for water, he found a bull calf curled up beside her. Two weeks later, he started locking Tess in the shed at night again. Inga used the first pail of milk to make a big pot of rice porridge.

Early one June morning, Erik hauled water from the slough for his mother to wash clothes. He was carrying a full pail when a wagon heaped with wood and metal and pulled by two heavy black horses drove into the yard. Holding the reins was a man Erik had never seen before. Beside him was Olaf.

Erik set the pail of water down as the wagon stopped near the dry well. The stranger climbed down and looked at the wooden cover.

“You been digging this well?” he asked Erik with a friendly look.

“Not me,” said Erik. “I just hauled up the dirt.” Amazed, he watched the man pull away the boards covering the well.

“Gone down close to thirty feet, I’d guess,” he said. “Nice cribbing.” He held out his hand to Erik. “Name’s Charlie,” he said. “You must be Erik.” Startled, Erik shook his hand. Charlie pulled a three-metre length of slender corkscrew metal from his wagon, then lit a tin lantern.

Erik looked at Olaf. “What are you doing? Did Rolf ask you –” But then he stopped. Rolf wouldn’t ask Olaf to do anything. He and Olaf didn’t talk.

“I didn’t want Leif drinking slough water.” Olaf looked embarrassed as he carried a coil of rope to the well.

“See now,” said Charlie. “We’re going to drill this into the dirt at the bottom of the well. If there’s water within ten feet, we’ll find it. If not, we add another ten foot section and try again.”

He tied the rope onto the auger and dropped it slowly down the well, then hooked the lantern onto his overall straps and lowered himself onto Rolf’s rope ladder. Erik and Olaf crouched down to watch.

“Do you need me down there?” asked Olaf.

“Too crowded.”

Erik longed to ask Olaf what the man would charge and who would pay for it, but all he could think was how wonderful it would be if they found water.

In the light from the lantern, Erik saw Charlie turn the crank, digging his test drill into the floor of the well. After a few minutes, Charlie pulled out the auger, inspected the dirt it had brought up, then twisted it back down. The third time he cranked the drill back into the well, he hollered, “Hey, Olaf. You better lower down another section of the drill.”

Erik’s heart sank as Olaf pulled up the rope to tie on the second length of metal.

The man at the bottom pulled out the auger and looked at it again.

“Forget that,” he called. “We’ve got it.”

Erik met Olaf’s eyes. He was surprised to see joy that matched his own. Olaf dropped the rope back down to bring up the test drill.

When Charlie got up, he set the lantern down on the ground and pulled a handful of damp soil out of his pocket. Erik reached out and touched the soil. It felt cold and wet – dripping wet.

“So there’s really water down there.”

“I ’spect there is,” said the man. “That’s how the dirt got wet.”

“So we have to dig that much more?” Erik looked at the auger. From the dirt showing in the curves of the drill, he was guessing they needed to go at least three more metres.

“We’ll let Gertrude and Sam do it,” said the man. “They’re quick, you just watch.”

Behind him, Erik heard the door of the house open.
“Erik,” said his mother, “I need more water –” She stopped
when she saw Olaf and the other man.

“Hallo,
Olaf,” she said, switching to her stilted English out of courtesy to the stranger. “I not see you.”

Olaf coloured faintly and introduced Inga and Charlie.
“He’s going to find water in your well,” he added.

“Water good,” she said hesitantly, “but money… not good.”

Charlie jerked his head toward Olaf. “It’s on his tab,” he said. “Now I gotta work if we’re gettin’ this well dug.”

“Don’t worry about the cost,” Olaf said hurriedly in Norwegian. “I’m taking care of that.”

Her face lit up. “Olaf, you are a dear son.” She threw her arms around him and leaned her head against his chest. Olaf’s arms came up, and for a brief moment he returned her hug.

“It’s for Leif,” Olaf said.

“And a dear brother.” Then, turning to Erik, she added, “Bring in a few more pails of water, Erik, then you and Elsa can watch them drill.”

By the time Erik got back to the well, the tripod had been replaced by an elaborate drilling apparatus. It turned as Charlie’s horses walked in a circle around the well. Periodically, Charlie went down the well, sending up pails of dirt. To keep the soil from piling up, Erik and O
laf emptied the pails in the firebreak on the other side of the yard. Elsa got bored after a while, and went to check the progress of the garden before going back to the house, but Erik stayed outside, helping to build the cribbing
while the horses turned the drill.

When noon came, Inga invited them in to eat, but Charlie refused. “Gotta get this done,” he said, “but thank you.”

Inga brought out bread and cheese to eat as they worked, and they kept going all afternoon.

“Good thing the horses can rest while Charlie scoops out the dirt,” said Elsa in the early evening.

Erik brought water from the slough to the horses. “They’ve worked hard today.”

“Vanne! Vanne!”
Olaf yelled, holding a pail high. “Water! We have water!”

Erik and Elsa ran to Olaf, followed a moment later by Inga from the house, clutching Leif.

“Is it true?” Elsa cried.

“Oh, it’s true enough,” said Charlie. He crawled out of the well and headed for his horses, his boots leaving wet prints on the ground.

“We’ll go a bit further to get out more dirt,” he said, “but you’ve definitely got yourself a well.” He drilled a while longer, then descended into the well to send up pails of mud and water and install the final section of cribbing.

When Charlie came up the last time, a huge grin split his face. “You just let that sit till tomorrow so the dirt settles and the water comes in.” He slapped Olaf on the back, then started dismantling his equipment, piling it back on the wagon.

Erik noticed Olaf glancing around as he harnessed the horses to the wagon. Watching his face, Erik knew the exact moment Rolf walked into the yard.

“Good evening,” said Rolf, holding his hand out to Charlie. “I’m Rolf Hanson.”

“Charlie Briggs,” said Charlie. “Looks like you’ve got a good well here. I could hardly climb out fast enough!”

“Well?” repeated Rolf, mystified. He walked over to the open hole and peered down, though Erik doubted he could see anything without a light at the bottom.

Erik waited for Olaf to say something, but soon saw he wasn’t going to.

“Olaf hired Mr. Briggs to dig the well,” said Erik. “He went down about three more metres and hit water.”

Rolf stared at Olaf.

“Why don’t we drop a pail and see what we bring up?” said Charlie. He grabbed the rope they’d used for lowering the auger and Erik handed him a pail. Everyone watched as Charlie lowered the pail, pulling it up a moment later half full of water.

“It’s fillin’ fast,” said Charlie.

Elsa ran to the house for a cup. Charlie filled it and handed it to Rolf.

Rolf accepted the tin cup with a nod. He took a sip and handed it to Inga who’d come out with Elsa. She tasted it, then Erik and Elsa each had a sip.

Elsa squinched up her face. “It tastes dirty,” she said.

“It’ll settle out,” said Charlie. “Just give it time.”

“Good water,” said Rolf, his voice cracking. “Thank you, Olaf. This is a wonderful gift.”

“I did it for Leif,” said Olaf. He turned to the wagon, shoving a piece of wood to the side, then putting it back where it had been. He glanced over his shoulder at Rolf, then shifted his glance quickly to Charlie. “Are you ready to go?”

“Sure thing,” said Charlie. “Thanks for the food, Mrs. Hanson,” he said. “That bread was sure good.”

Rolf shook his hand again. “Thank you, many thanks.”

He took a step toward Olaf, but Olaf slipped around the side of the wagon and climbed up.

No one spoke till the wagon was out of sight.

“We need something on the top,” said Elsa.

“Ja,”
said Rolf. “A well head.”

Erik glanced at Rolf. He looked completely overwhelmed by what had happened. They had a well, and all because of Olaf, the son who wouldn’t speak to him!

Erik picked up a board. “I’ll cover it for now.”

“Wait!” said Inga. “Let’s get more water first.”

No one moved as Erik brought up another pail of water, their gift from Olaf.

CHAPT
ER EIGHTEEN

Threat

The next time Erik saw Olaf, he was riding into their yard on Tapper.
“So what do you think of my horse now?” Olaf asked.

“If he can carry someone as heavy as you on his back, he must be healed.” Erik stroked Tapper, the dark brown coat warm and shiny beneath his hand. Though he could see some scars, most were hidden under the saddle.

“Do you want to ride him?”

“I sure do,” said Erik. “Right now, do you mean?”

Olaf shrugged. “It’s as good a time as any.” He dismounted and handed Erik the reins.

Putting his left foot in the stirrup and grabbing the saddle horn, Erik pulled himself up and swung his right leg over Tapper’s back.

Tapper pranced in a circle, aware that his rider had changed. Erik pulled on the reins to hold him still.

“Take him for a run,” Olaf suggested, giving Tapper a smart slap on his hindquarters. “See what the boy can do.”

“I don’t –” Erik began, but didn’t finish as Tapper broke
into a gallop. Erik clenched the reins in one hand and grabbed Tapper’s mane with the other.

“Slow down,” Erik yelled in Norwegian. Tapper, despite his Norwegian name, didn’t understand. He ran as if chased by the wildcat that had attacked him.

Erik forced himself to take a breath and straighten slightly. After a moment he even looked around. They had almost reached the slough with the saskatoon berries and he hadn’t fallen off yet. Maybe he wouldn’t!

He felt the reins in his hand and gave them a tug, pulling slightly to the left. To his relief, Tapper slowly began turning. Erik tugged harder. He felt Tapper slow down as they crossed a field of wheat, centimetres tall and bright green.

By the time they reached Olaf, Tapper was walking, his coat shiny with sweat.

“So what do you think?” asked Olaf. He took the reins from Erik’s unresisting hands.

“He likes to run,” breathed Erik. He slid down from the saddle, not sure if his legs would hold him. “I’m not used to that!”

“Me, neither,” admitted Olaf. He stroked Tapper’s neck. “I can’t wait to see how fast he can go when he’s completely recovered!”

“You think he’ll go faster?” asked Erik incredulously.

“I don’t know. I’m looking forward to finding out.”

Erik picked up the spade he’d been using and leaned on it for support. “You could have warned me!” he said.

Olaf grinned. “I didn’t know what he would do, not for sure!”

Erik eyed Olaf skeptically. “You were hoping he’d throw me,” he said.

Olaf shook his head unconvincingly.

“Want to come in the house?” asked Erik. “For coffee?” When he saw Olaf hesitate, he added quickly, “You need to try our new water!”

“I guess I do.” Olaf put Tapper in the corral and followed Erik into the house.

Elsa was flopped on her stomach on the bed, teaching Leif to clap his hands.