Casey whispered, "Let me go on shore and look at this." Joe nodded. He did not mention that although they could see the cigarette tip, they could not smell smoke. Odd.
Joe steered the canal boat over to one side and Casey jumped out. The water was almost level to the ground, so the leap was easy.
In a few minutes, Joe heard voices shouting, "Hey, let me go. No, stop." Joe could clearly here young voices.
In a few minutes, Casey returned with two children, a boy about ten and a girl about eight. Joe could not help but smile.
They were dressed in old-fashioned clothes. Casey bundled the aboard while Joe hitched a line to one of the rusted links on the side of the canal.
"Smoking is not good for you," Joe said. "What are you doing out here in the dark, by yourselves, with cigarettes?"
The little girl spoke up, "Are you good guys or bad guys?" She looked like she was going to start to cry.
Joe said softly, "Good, I hope. Now, what are you doing out here alone/"
The boy spoke, while Casey got Father James and Jamie to come up and join the group.
"Our dad left us here. He drove until the car ran out of gas and this is as far as we got. We came from Canada, Arnold's camp."
Joe looked at Father James. "What happened?" The priest gave the children fruit and sandwiches. They wolfed down the food. "You'll be sick. Slow down," Father said.
Joe interrupted. "Let us all go below. Casey, move the canal boat out again and use the motor, but low. Are you kids really alone?" The little girl began to cry. "Dad was going to get food for us. That was, maybe, four days ago. He never came back."
"OK, you are safe. Get below."
Casey moved the boat back into the middle of the canal and the rest of the group moved into the bunk area downstairs. Jamie put her arm around the little girl. The children were so cold.
"Here are some blankets. I can make hot chocolate."
The boy continued. "About a week ago, well, maybe six days ago, soldiers came into the camp from the Canadian side. Everyone was taken away, rounded up. We had been out on the lake with Dad in a boat, fishing. Dad pulled the boat into a small creek and under cover with over-hanging trees. He told us to lie down in the boat. For hours, we waited. Then, when it was night, we rowed back to the camp. No one was there, but Arnold's dog. Everyone was gone."
The little girl was crying. "We had to leave Mattie, the dog." Tammy, who was resting in a bunk, said, "I know, I had to leave my cat." The little girl looked at Tammy. Then, she walked over to the wounded woman. "Mattie was brown, with a white spot on her nose." Tammy talked to her about Sampson.
The boy went on. "Dad found a car with a tank full of gas. It has belonged to the Ellisons. He knew where they kept the keys. We took it. Dad said he wanted to take us to Vermont, to the next safe haven. But, Arnold's wasn't safe. So, how do we know the next one is?"
"We are that group," said Father James, and the two children stared at him. "In a boat?" The boy was truly surprised, but also, relieved.
"And the cigarettes?" Joe smiled. The boy squirmed. "Mr. Ellison had them in the car. Dad said to take them for bartering. I wanted to try one, but did not know what to do. I guess you saw the light."
Joe almost burst out laughing, "Well, I think God wanted us to find you. You will be safe with us, I promise. Now, let Jamie help you wash and get some sleep in the bunks."
The little girl, whose name was Naomi, asked, "Why is it so dark? Why is it so scary?" Father said he did not know, but he would pray with them and after a while, have Mass. The children visibly relaxed. The boy, Thomas, said, "They took Father Andrew." Father James looked at Joe, "Andrew McManus, I know him. I did not know he was there."
Joe said it was Casey's turn for sleep. Father James went up to the tiller and Casey came down and threw himself on the floor in a sleeping bag. In minutes, he was asleep.
"Always can tell a real soldier," Joe thought and he went outside as well. Father James and Joe sat an angles against the back of the boat, Joe at one side and Father in the little seat for steering.
The darkness had not changed. "It was providential we found these children, Joe. Listen, coyote packs, and wolf packs are in this area. we are about to cross into Vermont. The lake is coming up soon."
The lake was at the end of the canal. They had been traveling almost twenty-one hours. Joe had let Father sleep for six hours. Casey would have less. Joe had not slept.
"This lake, is it deep enough to sink this boat? A boat left on a shore, or at the side of the canal, would be noticed."
Father answered, "Yes, I thought of that as well. All we need to do is open the drain holes and make more holes. We can first, of course, take all the necessary stuff off and pack the knapsacks. I have a small portable acetylene torch as well to make holes." Joe nodded. The entire journey would take at least another hour.
"How deep is the lake, Father?" The priest moved the tiller slightly. "No one knows, but this boat will not be noticed, especially in this darkness. Years ago, someone scuttled a small sailing boat in this lake and no one ever saw it again."
The hour passed quickly. Joe knew he would not get any sleep until they got to the old cabin. He could handle a few days without sleep. He had endured worse in Iraq.
"Well, I am going to take a very short cat-nap." Father said "Fine, but there is one more lock, you know. Coming up in about ten minutes."
Joe nodded. "I'll get Casey up to help."
to be continued...