An Untamed Land Read Online Free PDF

knew that Roald’s concern always came out gruff. “Ja, I know. But we’re here now, and we’re safe.” Her hand twitched with wanting to smooth away the worry lines on his face. But one did not do such a thing in public. And with Roald, one didn’t do it at all.
    Roald hoisted his load again and strode past the wide doorway of a warehouse. “Castle Garden is ahead of us. We’ll go through the immigration process there. They say there are doctors too, so there will be help for Kaaren.”
    Ingeborg saved all her breath to keep up with his long strides. And poor Thorliff practically had to run as he held on to his mother. Besides, the fear that Kaaren would be considered too ill to enter the country left Ingeborg with no spit to swallow, let alone breath to respond.
    Roald nearly disappeared again in the crush of immigrants when he set his bundles down in a square open area. On the land side of the point, a wooden fence with tall vertical posts protected a circular building. “That’s Castle Garden. There is help for us there,” he said as he finished mounding their belongings. He pointed to a wooden box. “You sit there and wait for us. I’ll return as soon as I can. Once we have a bed for Kaaren, we’ll get our trunks out of the hold.”
    Ingeborg nodded as she gathered her dirty skirts about her and sank down on the box. Thorliff stared wide-eyed at the commotion around them. Two boys, whose pants were held up with twine, chased each other around the flag pole. Young, old, and all ages in between—the lines of immigrants stretched four abreast out of the gate and curved around the courtyard. If only she could take a placein line, but then who would guard their belongings?
    Shortly after Roald disappeared back into the throng of disembarking passengers, a broad-shouldered man in a dark blue wool uniform stopped in front of her. Ingeborg shook her head when he spoke to her, then shrugged. She had no idea what he’d said. He leaned closer and raised his voice. At her shrug, he pointed at the gate. “Norwegian?” The one familiar word brought a smile to her face that lit up the dimming square.
    She nodded. “Ja, Norwegian,” and continued in a stream of her own language.
    He shook his head, disgust visible on his square-jawed face.
    Fear clawed again at her throat when he picked up the roll of quilts and a box. “Nei, nei!” Ingeborg leaped to her feet and grabbed for his sleeve. He shook her off and nodded to the fence with his chin. When he reached the wooden pillars, he dropped her box and returned for more.
    Ingeborg breathed a sigh of relief. He was not a thief waiting to run off with her things. He was merely helping to move them out of the way. She carried the carpetbag over and smiled her thanks. “Mange takk.” But her gratitude only bounced off his disappearing back. With a sigh, she sat back down on the box. “Thorliff?” The second call rose to a near scream. “Thorliff!” She searched behind the stack and all around her. Roald’s son was nowhere in sight.

 
    I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”
    “You won’t, don’t even think such a thing.” Carl stroked the limp strands of hair back from his wife’s pale forehead. “We’re here in New York now; wait until you see it. Roald and Ingeborg have already gone ashore. They’ll be back for us soon.”
    Kaaren reached up with a quivering hand and locked her fingers into his rough black lapel. “You’ll care for Gunny, promise me.” Her voice, in sheer desperation, sounded strong for the first time in days.
    “Kaaren, Kaaren, don’t even think of such a thing.”
    “Promise!”
    “Yes, I promise. Now never talk of dying again. We’ve come to Amerika for a new life. This little one here was just too impatient to wait.” With a gentle finger he brushed the cheek of his sleeping daughter lying secure in the crook of her mother’s arm.
    Kaaren studied the strong face of the man sitting on the edge of the narrow bunk.