Free Bones On Black Spruce Mountain by David Budbill Page A

and had a big dinner on the lawn—he probably could hear them talking and laughing if the wind was right—when he saw all that and heard all that, he got so lonely he'd howl, because he felt so deserted. He wanted to come down and be a part of that, but he couldn't; so he howled instead."
    Daniel could hear the boy's cries. He could see him alone on the mountain.
    "I think he died during haying, just like Mr. Bateau says. I think one night, after he'd spent all day watching, he just couldn't stand it anymore, so he crawled into the cave and died."
    "I think you're right, Daniel, but it's awful."
    Both boys sat hunched over their thoughts.
    Finally Daniel sighed an enormous sigh, laughed an odd little laugh, and stood up. "Let's split what's left of the coffee."
    All the clouds were gone now and the full moon lit the wilderness as if it were day. The boys sat and watched the black and silver woods. Daniel poked at the fire. Seth munched on the bag of nuts and raisins, then passed them to Daniel.
    Seth began chuckling to himself.
    "What's the matter?" Daniel asked.
    "You solved the mystery and you don't even know it."
    "I did?"
    "We've got proof he lasted at least one winter."
    "We do?"
    "We found him in the cave, right? He only went there in the summer, to watch people, right? He could never get there in the winter. The ice up there would make it impossible. He ran away in the fall. The only time he could possibly have gotten back there was the summer after the first winter."
    Daniel smiled. It was true.
    But the solution to the mystery seemed insignificant now. They had found the truth, but the facts were meaningless to them. Only the boy mattered.
    "I want to go back," Daniel said. "I want to spend tomorrow night with the bones."
    Seth's heart sank. "Oh, Daniel, I don't want to; I can't." Seth understood why Daniel wanted to return, or at least he had some idea, but he was afraid.
    "I'm going. I've got to. Just once. I'm not going to try to talk you into it, but I'd like for you to come with me. Don't decide for sure just now. Sleep on it. You can decide tomorrow."
    Then Daniel added, "Speaking of sleep, let's get some. The sun's about to come up."
    Both boys climbed inside their bags, and in what seemed like seconds Seth could hear Daniel's deep, even breathing. Seth blew out the candle and zipped his bag. He tossed and turned. He couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the coffee or the decision he had to make or maybe it was all he had just heard.
    He propped himself up on one elbow and looked at Daniel through the darkness. Slowly Seth was begin-to understand something about his friend, something about the bones, about loneliness. And part of his understanding was knowing he would never quite understand, at least not the way Daniel understood, not with the fury And pain Daniel felt. But just now Daniel had opened the door into his past, if only just a little, and allowed Seth to look in. Seth was grateful for that.
    He lay back. He knew now that he and Daniel were like brothers, but he also knew, for the first time, that like all brothers, they were the same and different, together and alone.
    Despite their closeness they were both terribly alone.
     

Chapter 9
     
There was an awkward silence between the two boys over breakfast the next morning. Neither Seth nor Daniel wanted to resume last night’s discussion, but it still weighed heavily on their minds, so instead of talking about it, they didn’t talk at all.
Finally Daniel said, “How’s your leg?”
“Okay. Stiff, but it’ll be okay.”
    “You should probably take it easy this morning, don’t you think?”
    “I thought I’d just hang around here or something. What are you going to do?”
    “Maybe I’ll fish down the brook toward home, get us enough for today.”
    “Daniel, I don’t want to go back.”
    “Let’s not talk about it now. At lunch, let’s decide at lunch.” Daniel wanted Seth to come with him. In fact, he doubted he could make it alone, but he