Racing Home Read Online Free PDF Page A

the supplies.
    Now they had to get a crop or they’d lose it all.

    When Rolf and Erik drove to the land on their own, they stopped a couple of times to check the survey markers.
    “This is it,” said Rolf, looking at one of the markers. “My land.” He stretched his arms wide. “Our land.”
    Erik eyed the expanse of short grass, trying to imagine a home, a barn, corrals…built from what? All they had was the land on which they stood and a wagon full of furniture and supplies.
    Not far away, he saw what looked to be short, weedy plants growing among the grass. As they drew closer, he realized they were short bushes growing around water that had pooled in a dip in the land.
    “It’s a slough,” said Rolf. “Lars says that’s what they call ponds here. It dries up when there’s no rain, and fills with water in the spring.”
    Erik tried to imagine the slough full of water. If there was more water, wouldn’t the plants and bushes drown?
    “We must choose a spot for our house. Close to the slough, for water,” Rolf suggested, “but not too close, or we may have too much water sometimes.”
    Erik nodded. In the shelter of trees would be good, he thought, if only there were trees.
    Rolf started to untie the canvas covering the wagon. “What do you think?” he asked abruptly.
    “Think?” Erik repeated, surprised. “I – I don’t know.”
    Rolf pulled a spade from under the canvas. “Where’s the sun going to rise in the morning?”
    Erik pointed east and Rolf nodded. He turned slowly in a circle.
    “A hill would be better,” said Rolf. “When you build against a hill, you only need to build three walls.”
    Rolf walked a short distance, turned, walked again. Finally he stopped about thirty metres from the slough and drove the spade into the ground.
    “This is where our house will be,” he said. “But if it is a bad choice, it doesn’t matter. We will build a new house soon. A house from wood, next time.”
    Erik nodded. He hoped his mother wouldn’t be too sad to move into a sod house. Erik wasn’t happy about it, himself. The ones they’d visited were dark, with low ceilings. Some had wooden floors, but most were packed dirt.
    “It’s good we’re not the first,” Erik said suddenly.
    “The first?” repeated Rolf.
    “Ja,” said Erik. “The first to settle here. This way we learn from others, and we can eat Aunt Kirsten’s cooking.”
    Rolf smiled. “You’re right, Erik. It’s good we’re not the first.”
    Erik couldn’t help smiling back. He and Rolf had agreed on something!
    Rolf moved the wagon closer to where they would build, then tethered the oxen by the slough. Erik tethered the cow nearby and lifted down the chickens.
    “We can’t tether these,” said Erik.
    “I don’t know anything about chickens,” said Rolf. “You decide what to do with them.”
    Erik carried the crate awkwardly down to the slough, setting it out of the wind beside some of the shrubby bushes. He brought grain and water, watching them doubtfully. One of the hens pecked at leaves through the mesh of the chicken wire. There were just five birds in the cage, four hens and a rooster.
    “Maybe tomorrow,” he said at last. “I’ll let you out tomorrow.”
    Rolf used his spade to mark out the walls of the sod house. He planned for two rooms, the smaller with bunks for Elsa and Erik. The main room would serve as kitchen and sitting room as well as a place for Rolf and Inga to sleep.
    “We might as well get started,” said Rolf, looking at the marks he’d made in the dirt.
    Erik nodded. He didn’t want a sod house, but it was better than no house at all. He helped Rolf hitch the oxen to the borrowed plough, then watched as he cut strips of sod from the rectangle that would be the house. When he was finished there, Rolf paced off the perimeter of the yard. He and the oxen began cutting sods from around it to make a firebreak while Erik started to build the house.
    He cut each strip of sod into