Chapter 4: Farmers

"What do you have to trade?" she asked brightly.

"If you just want some soap and a few seeds, I have some deer skins and the knives and flint I took from your captors. If you want to trade for more, I have a couple of pups who are costing me more to feed than they're worth."

"You'd trade away your dogs?" she asked horrified.

"If they can't do their share I will. We can't afford to be feeding a dog more food than he catches. Besides, the farmers give them a good home. Just because a dog can't hunt doesn't mean he's not a good guard dog."

Emil had lashed two deerskins, the knives and flint onto a pack frame and he was ready to travel. He smiled at Diana. "We'll take Ralph and the two pups I want to trade just in case the farmers have something you like. Ralph will enjoy the trip and he'll be good protection for you."

"Protection? Aren't you going to take a gun?" she wondered.

"The guns are for hunting. Especially in winter when pickings get slim. No one else around here has a gun and I have my boar-spear and this nice long knife. We have all we need to be safe.

As they started down the trail to the valley, they were serenaded by the piteous howls and whines of the three dogs left behind in their kennels. The three chosen for the trip were already coursing well ahead, noses to the ground and tails in the air, enjoying the adventure. It was almost a two-hour hike to the village but the weather was clear and cool, and although Emil set a fast pace as was his habit, Diana was easily able to keep up. The fields around the village covered two or three hundred acres and they were mostly planted in new corn.

It was late morning as they approached. No one was visible in the fields, but smoke rose from the village chimneys. Emil led Diana down the lane that led through the fields to a large old oak that stood about two hundred yards outside the village stockade. Hanging from the oak was an old steel tire rim suspended by a chain, and hanging from the rim suspended by a rope was a steel bar.

"What the hell is this?" asked Diana pointing to the tire rim.

"It's their doorbell," answered Emil. "Get any closer to the village without ringing and you're liable to catch an arrow."

With that he took the iron bar and gave the tire rim three or four hard whacks. The resulting clanging noise was hardly pleasant, but it was loud. They waited for a few minutes, but then Diana grew impatient.

"Hit it again. No one's coming," she urged.

"Relax," laughed Emil. "They heard, but sometimes it takes a while for them to answer. Besides, hitting that thing makes my ears ring."

They sat silently in the shade of the oak for another five minutes, and then one side of the stockade gate swung open and a man stepped out. He was well built, a little shorter than Emil, but solid. He looked to be about forty-five and had an air of authority. He carried a stout staff and was wearing what looked to be a sword. He approached them warily.

Emil whispered to Diana, "Here comes the headman of the village."

The dogs, who had been lounging at Diana's feet, were immediately alert. They came to their feet, and moved slowly toward the man making low growling sounds, the hair on their backs raised. A single soft command from Emil silenced them and brought them back to his heel. When the man came to within shouting distance he stopped.

"I see it's you, Hunter. What do you want?"

"We come to trade." Emil gestured to include Diana.

The man looked at Diana, and then back to Emil. "Is she your woman?"

"She's with me," answered Emil noncommittally.

"If you're together, you're welcome to come into the village to trade," the man shouted. "You'll have to leave your weapon at the gate and keep your dogs under control." Then he turned abruptly and walked back the way he'd come.

Diana, Emil and the dogs followed. As they entered, the stockade gate was closed with a solid thud behind them. Six armed men who inspected them suspiciously greeted them.

"Leave your spear here," ordered the headman. He pointed to a rack of implements and weapons that stood next to the stockade wall.

Emil leaned his spear on the rack and gave the dogs a command. They lay by the rack as if to guard Emil's spear. Once the spear and the dogs seemed to be removed as a threat, the headman looked closely at Diana and then at Emil and then back at Diana. Then he smiled.

"Come, join us. You picked a good day to visit. Today is our rest day and you can share our noon meal. Then we'll talk trade." He turned and led the way to a long wooden table that sat in the center of the village protected by a shed roof.

Most of the villagers were already seated at the table. Diana counted about twenty-five adults, a few more men than women. There were many children but they were playing and laughing, moving around too fast to count. The headman took a seat at the head of the table and pointed to a spot to his left.

"Sit here. Today you're my guest."

The villagers smiled, murmured greetings, and those sitting on the left side of the table scooted down to make room for Diana and Emil. Once they were seated Diana scanned the faces at the table. All seemed friendly and were mostly plain, solid looking folk as might be expected of people who toiled in the fields, but sitting to the headman's right was the largest person Diana had ever seen. He must have stood 6 feet 6 inches tall and looked to be solid muscle. Two pretty young girls sat on each side of him, each obviously vying for his attention. The headman made introductions.

"I'm Clark, leader of this little clan." Then he looked with pride toward his right. "That brute sitting across from you is my son David. My wife is that beautiful woman suffering at the fire there to make us our meal." He pointed across the clearing to a group of women working at a stone fire pit. "I leave it to the rest of the families to introduce themselves."