Follow the River

Two days later, they have found nothing else to eat. Ghetel has become more withdrawn from Mary. In the morning, Mary noticed that Ghetel had been trying to get at the spear. Mary holds on to it and even sharpens it to keep Ghetel at bay. They come to a wide, deep river that will be difficult to go around, and Mary despairs. Impulsively, Mary hits Ghetel because “God’s out o’ reach” (293). They go upriver to find a place to ford when Mary sees blue stone cliffs that she recognizes, confirming that they are following the New River home. She excitedly tells Ghetel that they are only five days away from home.

Ghetel does not seem as happy as Mary. Mary feels that it’s because she has “been coaxin’ her on with […] false cheer for so long” (296). She remembers that they had crossed this river on horseback on her outward journey. Eventually, they reach a shallow place to ford, but Ghetel refuses to go on. The next morning, Mary forces Ghetel to cross the river by pointing the spear at her and yelling. By the afternoon, they are back along New River. At dusk, Mary unsuccessfully tries to find worms to eat. Then, she puts the spear down to help Ghetel uproot a plant for its roots. At that moment, Ghetel lets go of the plant and grabs the spear.

Ghetel has the blanket and the spear, which she is pointing at Mary. Mary tries to talk her down, but Ghetel won’t be dissuaded. She says that she is going to eat Mary. They fight. Mary flees and tries to hide in a thicket, but Ghetel finds her. Ghetel throws the spear at her, but it misses and goes into the river. Mary approaches Ghetel, now unarmed, and says that they can draw lots to see who gets to eat whom. Mary pulls the short lot, and Ghetel attacks her. Mary gets away and hides. When she hears Ghetel move away, Mary gets up and searches for a canoe that she remembers was hidden by the riverbank so that she can cross the New River and get away from Ghetel. She finds it and a piece of wood to use as a paddle. She takes the canoe out on the river, and it nearly sinks. However, she is able to use it to cross over to the other side of the New River. It is the first time in 40 days that she and Ghetel have been apart. Mary laughs and cries.

Mary is freezing cold and wet without a blanket or Ghetel’s body to keep her warm. She needs to keep moving because otherwise, she will freeze to death. After a few yards, she falls down and curls into a ball. She expects to die. At that moment, she looks up and sees an abandoned hut. She sleeps under some dead leaves in the hut. In the morning, she digs through the remains of the hut’s vegetable patch and finds two turnips. She eats one. Then, she continues on.

A few hours later, she sees buzzards over Ghetel’s body. She thinks that Ghetel is dead until Ghetel springs up and tries to catch one of the buzzards. It doesn’t work, but it cheers Mary up. Ghetel apologizes to Mary. Mary says that they can walk parallel to each other along opposite banks of the New River.

They encourage each other to keep going by singing and yelling at each other. It begins to rain and sleet, and they complain loudly to each other across the river.

Will, Johnny, and Gander Jack are riding back from their meeting with Snake Stick. They are not confident that he will negotiate with the Shawnees to release Mary, Bettie, and the boys. However, they had no choice but to trust him with the ransom payment and return home to await the outcome. They are nearly back, following the New River downstream. Will and Johnny are worried about their wives. Will imagines Mary being sexually assaulted by the Shawnee. They reach a fork in the road. They decide to go to the fort at Dunkard’s Bottom rather than head back to Draper’s Meadows, where the houses are badly in need of repair after the raid because the weather threatens to be bad.