Trapper Boy (13 page)

Chapter 36

T
he night passed slowly, and sleep beckoned him constantly, but JW knew better than to let Red catch him sleeping again. He threw the handful of oats that was left in the bottom of his satchel to the rats. They rushed forward, pushing and squealing, climbing over each other in their attempt to get to the oats first. JW noticed they stayed together in a pack but did not appear willing to share. The oats lasted less than a minute, and the rats looked his way hoping for more. They had to wait until he ate his lunch for the blackened crusts of bread with the tasty strawberry jam.

JW didn't see Mr. McGuire coming, but he heard him in plenty of time to have the door opening just as he came into view. There was a look of disappointment on Mickey's father's face when he made his way through. No words were exchanged. By shift's end, JW realized there was no way he could attend school that day. Staying for the entire day yesterday and not getting enough sleep meant he had to miss the whole day. Now he would really be behind. He heard Patty whistling as he came down the tracks. JW waited and walked with him to the rake.

“I'm so tired I don't even feel like washing up,” JW said.

“I feel the same way,” Patty said. “I'm going home and gonna sleep all day. I don't work until tomorrow or the next day. I better check with Red to be sure,” he said, and JW watched as he ran over to Red once they reached the surface.

The water washed away the dirt and some of the weariness. JW was hopeful as he began the walk home, but by the time he passed the graveyard, he knew he wouldn't be heading to school. He took a slight detour and passed by Beth's house. He was glad to see she was outside. He was almost standing next to her when she turned from the clothesline.

“Oh, you startled me, JW,” she said, her voice filled with surprise.

“Sorry. I just wanted to let you know I won't be going to school today. I'm just too tired.”

“I'll bring over your homework, and I'll let Mr. Cantwell know that you won't be there. Should I tell him you'll be there tomorrow?” Beth asked. Her eyes searched JW's face.

“I hope so, so yes, please tell him I plan to be there tomorrow. But to be honest, if I don't start getting more sleep, it won't matter, because I didn't get last night's homework done, and now I'm going to miss today and then be two days behind.” The frustration he was feeling was present in his voice, but JW kept his emotions in check. He turned to leave, walked a few steps then turned back to Beth. “Thanks for all your help. I'd never have been able to keep going without you.”

Beth smiled. “Well, I don't want any excuses if I win any prizes this year.”

“Oh, I'm pretty sure I won't be any competition for you. At least not this year. I'll see you tomorrow.”

“See you then.”

He slowed his pace as he started up the hill. He turned when he reached the top and was surprised Beth was still outside. He waved to her and waited until she waved back before heading toward home. Gulliver barked as JW neared the house. His tail wagged furiously in reaction to being petted. JW pushed his satchel around his back and stooped to pick up some logs for the fire. He heard Lightning whinny and dropped the logs. He decided he would clean out the stall first. The barn door swung open with a low groan. The hinges needed a little grease. He pulled the door shut behind him and laid his satchel on the floor.

He shovelled the manure from the stall, threw in some fresh hay and picked up some oats for Lightning to eat from his hand. “Hello, boy, how was your night? It's starting to get colder and I can see you're getting your winter coat. You're going to need that when we haul the wood home.” JW brushed some loose hair from Lightning's back. “See you later, boy.” He was surprised and happy to see Tennyson standing by the satchel, sniffing it, looking for oats. Scooping some up, he called out, “Hey, Tennyson, I thought you'd have found a whole lot of food by now. Here you go, boy.” JW dropped the oats onto the floor, and Tennyson scurried over by his feet. He stood and watched the rat eat his fill. Tennyson soon disappeared through a passageway in the hay.

Chapter 37

“B
reakfast is ready,” Mary Donaldson said to her son as she heard the back door close behind him.

“Today it's supper, Ma. I'm too tired to think of anything but sleep. I stopped by Beth's and told her I wouldn't be going today. It's only October and I've already missed a week of school, not counting the half days. That's more than I missed in the first nine years. I really want to keep going, but I don't know how I can. I'm so tired all the time.”

“Well, see how you feel tomorrow. The teachers said they understand,” his mother said.

“I know, but I'm starting to fall behind. I'm missing too many math classes, and it's getting harder to catch up. But yes, I'll go to bed now and see what tomorrow brings.”

JW trudged up the stairs, sad that he had to miss the day of school and sad that he wouldn't get to spend time with Beth. He hadn't wanted to tell his mother that he felt like giving up on school completely. She tried so hard and felt so bad that he couldn't attend like all the other children. But JW believed that the time was coming soon when he would just have to give up on his dream of finishing school. He knew he didn't need to finish to work in the mines, and he had enough education that he could one day be an overman like Red. The thought of walking all those tunnels for the next fifty years brought an involuntary shudder.

JW picked up
The Count of Monte Cristo
and tried to read a few lines, but sleep came quickly. He heard the book hit the floor just as his eyes closed. There were no dreams, good or bad, but he woke once to the sound of his parents' voices. His eyes closed, and he returned to the land of sleep and didn't wake again until he heard the clock strike eight. He had slept for twelve hours and felt rested.

Pulling on his clothes, he hurried down the stairs. JW saw that his mother was reading her prayer book, so he went to the kitchen and spread jam on some of the fresh-baked biscuits. The teapot was bubbling on the back of the stove. JW poured a cup and took the biscuits and tea into the dining room. He saw that Beth had been there with his homework. He started into the French lesson and felt comfortable with it after saying it aloud several times. He reached for his math book and saw a note sticking out of the pages. In her neat handwriting, Beth had informed him there was a math test the following day. Panic seized him as he looked at the notes that Beth had provided him. If he had known, he would have gotten up hours earlier. There was no way he could even get his homework done and it was absolutely impossible for him to review all the lessons he had done, as well as the ones he had missed. He only had an hour and a half before he had to leave for the pit. There was English and science homework as well. He started opening and closing books, slapping one closed before opening another.

“Is everything alright, dear?” his mother asked from the doorway.

“No, Ma, it isn't! I just found out I have a test tomorrow in math. I have a whole lot of other homework to do, so I don't know what to do first. And I only have a little over an hour before I have to head to work.”

He watched as his mother pondered his dilemma. Her brow furrowed, and after a brief moment, she said, “Just do the most important work tonight, which I'm sure is the math. Let the other stuff go until you get more time.”

The solution was so obvious, but JW hadn't been able to see it. “Thanks, Ma, that makes perfect sense. I can't get it all done, so I'll do what I can.” He watched her smile as she walked toward the kitchen. He heard the oven door open, and the inviting smell of bread wafted into the dining room. A short time later, she brought him a piece of bread, dripping with butter and molasses. He ate holding the bread with his left hand while he scanned the math notes and tried the various equations. The clock chimed ten. JW did a few more equations before closing the books for the night. He packed the books into his satchel, careful not to wrinkle the pictures his father had drawn. His plan was to go directly to school from the coal mine.

“Ma, would you pack another sandwich? I'm going to go right to school after my shift.”

“Sure thing. That's the spirit,” Mary Donaldson said as she hugged him to her. She watched as he headed down the pathway toward the pit. She wished his cross were easier to bear, but at least he had a plan for tomorrow.
Tomorrow is promised to no man
, she recalled from her earlier reading.
Not promised to boys either
, she thought, and shivered.

Chapter 38

T
he weeks spent underground had made JW quite adept at hearing the trams long before they came into sight. He never planned on sleeping. It was just that sometimes when he blinked, his eyes took their time reopening, several minutes in some cases. Since getting caught by Red, JW had been careful to remain vigilant at all times. Tonight he believed would be no problem, because he had slept for half a day. As he rested with his back against the wall, he thought about the summer spent with Beth at the swimming hole and wished he had that to look forward to next year.

“Caught you, didn't I? Sleeping on the job. Are you trying to get everyone killed? Won't be so smart when I tell Red 'bout what I seen!” Shawn McGuire shouted at the top of his lungs.

JW came fully awake and slid down the wall to the floor of the tunnel. He rose to his feet and stared into the eyes of Mr. McGuire. “So, you're saying that you're going to squeal to the boss on me. I wonder what the other men will have to say about that when I tell them? Boy, won't Mickey be proud of you?”

JW watched as Shawn McGuire raised the shovel from the tram and started forward. “Da's a peaceful man, but if you hit me, you won't have anywhere you can hide. When I tell him what you plan to do, I'm sure he'll have something to say to you, Mr. McGuire.” He watched as doubt crept into Shawn McGuire's eyes. He remembered what Patty had said about Mr. McGuire not being so tough when facing grown men, and the prospect of facing Andrew Donaldson seemed to make him rethink his plans to tell Red.

“I won't say anything this time, boy, but don't let me catch you again. Get the trap open, I ain't got all night.”

JW watched as Shawn McGuire went through the trap door for what he hoped would be the last time this shift. He hoped, also, that he wouldn't tell Red, but he was more afraid that he might tell his father. His father would be angry that he had fallen asleep, but he would be furious that he'd been brazen enough to talk to his elders in such a manner. JW's eyes never closed for more than a second the rest of the shift. He was wide awake when Red greeted him in the morning.

“How was your night, JW? Tired?”

“No, sir. I slept half the day yesterday. I plan on staying the whole day at school today,” JW said.

“Sorry to tell you, but Patty's grandpa died and he won't be in this morning, so you gotta stay till about noontime. Maybe you can get to school for the afternoon part.”

“But I've got a math test this morning that I can't miss. I mean, I'm sorry about Patty's grandfather, but—”

“Someone's got to open the trap, and you're it. If I had someone else, I wouldn't make you miss your test, but you can't leave until someone comes to relieve you. See you.”

JW felt dejected as he watched Red walk toward the travelling way. After all his studying he was going to miss the test. He wasn't even tired, but he couldn't go to school. He threw his satchel on the ground and went over to the trap door. There was nothing he could do. He pulled the door open as Smitty came to a halt.

“I thought you had school?”

“I do, but Patty can't come in today because his grandfather died.” When he said the words, he realized how selfish he sounded. Poor Patty, losing his grandfather. “I was supposed to have a math test today, but I'm here until someone comes to replace me. I'm pretty much sure that I won't be able to keep going anyway, and missing this test means that I'll be too far behind to keep going, especially if I can only go a couple of days a week. At least Tennyson got out,” he said.

“What?”

“I took him out and set him free. Looks like it's just me stuck down here.”

“I'm sorry to hear that, but maybe it'll all work out. Hey, Tennyson got out,” Smitty said, and clucked his tongue to move the horse along.

JW walked over to his satchel and picked it up. He brushed off the leather, happy to see he hadn't damaged it. He remembered how much work his grandfather had put into making it for him. He had loved his grandfather and felt ashamed of his comments when he considered how badly Patty must be feeling.

“What are you doing here? I thought you had a big test today.”

JW turned to the voice of his father. “I did, but Patty's grandpa died and I have to cover the trap. It's getting too hard to do anyway. I may as well face the fact that I'm all done with school. Maybe I'll get you to show me how to swing the pick. Pulling down those ceilings will have to be my adventures. I don't want to stay on the trap door for too long. There is only so much of Shawn McGuire a man can take.”

“I've got to get on up ahead, but we'll talk later,” Andrew Donaldson said, patting his son's shoulder. He glanced back at JW just as the trap door closed and saw the slumped shoulders.
Only so much of Shawn McGuire a man can take
. Wasn't that the truth. In a short number of weeks, JW had gone from being a carefree boy to seeing himself as a man. What had he been thinking? Sure, the trap door was relatively safe, but he would have to move on from there. The thought of his only child swinging a pick into the ceiling to release tons of coal to the floor below sent a series of shivers up and down his spine. But he knew JW would not be content to pull a trap door all day long. He would have to train him well. Pictures wouldn't work this time.