F. Stanley Kaiser
IT WAS COLD
by
F. Stanley Kaiser (copyright 1996 All Rights Reserved)
(This is Chapter one from a novel titled, "Cornsilk")
"Danny, come here, quick," screamed Rick in a voice
not even his brother could miss hearing.
"Why? What's the hurry? I'm busy," calmly replied his
younger brother.
"I said, now!" Rick wailed, "I've got my fingers
caught in a danged trap!"
"Wow, that must hurt! I'm coming," Danny answered as
he splashed through the frigid Rock Creek water.
He stepped in a deep hole en route and was rewarded
with a gum boot full of icy water.
Danny was shocked to see the cold steel jaws of a
muskrat trap clamped across the middle three fingers of Rick's
right hand.
"Why don't you pull the trap off of your hand," he
asked.
"I started to-it rips the skin off my fingers," yelled
Rick, "squeeze the trap so I can take my fingers out of it-they
may be broken!"
Danny quickly sprang the trap jaws open so Rick could
release and check the damage to his cold, bruised fingers.
Luckily, none appeared to be broken.
"How did it happen," asked Danny.
"I set the trigger of the trap and placed it up in a
hole under the water. When I reached in to shove it further into
the hole I accidently hit the trigger-just like a muskrat. Now I
know how they feel when the trap snaps shut on their leg."
Muskrats, native to the state of Indiana, prefer to
dig the entrance to their dens underwater.
Other sure signs of muskrat activity can be seen on
the creek bottom. As the "rats" swim along the shallow water
surface, they eventually make well-defined paths as they scrape
the bottom with their legs or bellies. These underwater paths
lead to the den or to a worn path up the embankment to high
ground.
Normally, the traps are set in the water at the hole
entrance or just in the water at the bottom of the embankment
slide. Each trap has a steel chain about eighteen inches long.
The chain is attached to a wooden stake. The stake is pounded
into the creekbed as far out in deep water as possible. This is
done so the trapped muskrat drowns immediately.
The worst of the winter trapping occurs when the creek
freezes and the ice must be chopped to check for a trapped
muskrat.
Although the temperature was below zero that morning,
they were rewarded with three muskrats.
In November the buyers were paying seventy-five cents
per hide. They became "prime", or most valuable, in January when
a large "rat" would sell for $1.50 or $2.00. It's back would
consist of beautiful dark brown fur at that time.
********
"What in the world happened to you," said Mom.
"Nothing much. We both fell through the ice. Our feet
and hands are cold and Rick caught his fingers in a trap," said
Danny.
The fire in the old kitchen stove was a most welcome
sight. The boys warmed their hands and feet in front of it.This
was Grandma's home and no one was going to convince her to part
with the old wood and coal burning cookstove in favor of a new
bottled-gas model.
But Rick and Danny couldn't thaw out completely: the
cow had to be milked. It was Rick's turn to milk "May", the
Martin's Jersey cow, affectionately named by their mom. Since
the name was never written down no one was sure of the spelling,
least of all Mrs. Martin, who thought it might be spelled "Mae"
like Mae West.
The birth of a calf is not normally attended by a
doctor and, therefore, not recorded in the county courthouse. It
never occurred to any of the family to question Mom's authority
to provide a name for any newborn, whether it be a pup or a
stray kitten, abandoned along the road in hopes that it would be
adopted by some kind farm kid.
"Rick, what in the world are you doing out there,"
shouted Mom from the kitchen door, "breakfast is ready, we have
all eaten, and if you don't get in here, you will be late for
school."
"I'm about done, but there is very little milk this
morning.This darned cow is a mess," he replied.
Mom looked at the small amount of milk he brought in.
"So what happened out there? Where's the rest of the
milk? We usually get about a gallon and a half each morning. You
have only a pint or less."
"First of all, the cow and I quickly had a
disagreement. As soon as my cold hands touched her udder, she
kicked. When I switched to the other two quarters I had better
luck. I milked about a half gallon and all was O.K. When I went
to her cold nipples, she swung her tail around and lashed me
across the face with it. Did that sting! She just missed my left
eye. So I stood up, picked up that old milk stool and cracked
old May over the rear end with it.
She kicked again and this time her right rear foot
landed in the milk bucket. Cow manure, straw and all! Then I
went to the pump shed, poured out the dirty milk, washed the
bucket, went back and was lucky to get any milk at all. You
might have to buy a quart at the grocery store. Those city
people sure don't go through what I did for a little milk and
they don't have to get up so early, either."
He fingered the red welt on his left cheek thinking of
the teasing he'd get from his classmates.
"Rick, get your coat on now! Don't forget your lunch.
Your brother and sister are out on the road about to step on the
school bus. Your bus driver does not like to wait on you, now
move!"
"Yes, Mom," answered Rick as he ran out the door.
After the cold and bitter morning, the thought of a
warm school building was very enticing to Rick. When the bus
arrived at the school he heard happy sounds of the steam
registers hissing and the dull thud, thud, of the hot water
knocking on the iron pipes.
Some students never had to work out in the cold. The
town kids had no farm chores. Rick and Danny envied them
sometimes.
While Rick and Danny warmed their frigid bodies in
school, Dad took the three muskrats to the local fur dealer. The
good news that evening was the $3.50 for the two boys to divide,
for their efforts with the trap line.
Why did the price of raw fur climb so rapidly this
particular year? Both Rick and Dan asked Mr. Becker, their
history and science teacher. They were told that Russia and some
of the other European countries were major suppliers to the
western world's coat and clothing manufacturers. Moscow, London
and New York were the major fur-trading centers of the world.
Their markets had been disrupted by German and Japanese military
actions.
Many of the exotic furs, such as silver fox, sable and
mink, were in short supply due to preparations for war in
Europe. Therefore, our common muskrat became more valuable and
the price increased.
Mr. Becker added a final note that the boys would not
soon forget,
"Boys, you have learned a basic lesson in economics,
known as 'supply and demand'. Don't ever forget it."
How could they forget? Their extra money was concrete
evidence of its truth.
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