Building Utopia Ch. 05

Early the next morning Roger got busy gardening. He once again took the tiller out and spent the day tilling the old garden spot to make it ready for planting. The next day he cut some of the dry grass beside the first garden patch with his trusty weed eater and began tilling it. When the women questioned him he told them that if he was successful they would need a much larger garden to feed the larger colony. If he wasn't successful they could preserve the excess food and use it themselves or perhaps trade the excess to someone else.

It took a week to get the garden ready to plant and to plant the seeds that could go out at that time. Roger left instructions with Bear Stalker and Sunny on future plantings then he and Margarita finished packing for their trip. He planned to leave the next day. Roger was taking his rifle and pistol chambered in .44 caliber. He gave Margarita a smaller pistol to carry for her protection. Of course they both carried a couple of knives and their food and camping supplies.

Roger thought it would take at least two months to walk to Roanoke Island where the ill fated colony was landed. He planned to walk due east until he was on the coast then turn north. He knew if he did this he would walk a greater distance and have to either build a canoe or backtrack some to cross streams emptying into the ocean. He didn't know what else to do though because he did not know the exact route to take to walk straight to the colony. He could move slightly north of east but not much because of his uncertainty about the exact location of the colony.

Roger and Margarita started out just after dawn on a raw and windy day in late March. They carried enough cooked food for that day and the next but then their travels would be slowed because of the need to hunt and forage for edible plants. Roger did not intend to eat the dry meat and vegetables they carried unless they had to.

The first two weeks of their trip were uneventful and for the most part very boring. They stopped each evening in exhaustion from their travels. They were constantly fighting undergrowth, mountains and river crossings. Roger had no idea how far they travelled either. His best estimate was they were making between twelve and eighteen miles a day. Their travel was also slowed because Roger stopped frequently on higher elevations to survey the surrounding countryside for a better route and for imminent danger. They also used a small hatchet to blaze trees and mark their route so they could find their home easier upon their return.

Early on the sixteenth day of travel the couple came in sight of a small Indian village. They stopped as soon as they saw the village and tried to fade back into the foliage. They were unsuccessful. They heard the shouts coming from the village and saw three men running toward them carrying spears and clubs. Roger looked at Margarita and said, "Can you understand them?"

Margarita shook her head and said, "No. I don't recognize the language. WATCH OUT!"

Roger dropped. He saw the brave pulling the bow just as Margarita warned him. With a sorrowful heart Roger took aim with his rifle and dropped the three running men. He didn't check to see if they were dead or not. They were down and he and Margarita continued their escape. They were out of sight of the village but could hear the pursuit. They continued running as fast as they could but the Indians were gaining on them. Roger turned slightly uphill and led Margarita to a group of boulders that made a good defensive position. He pulled her into the cover of the rocks and had her hide then he moved off about ten feet and took up another position. This time there were six more men on the attack. Roger waited until they were in the most promising position then opened fire once again. He only hit two before they dove for cover. Over the course of the afternoon Roger and Margarita fought with the Indians. The only saving grace was they had no firearms. Only three of the braves had bows and arrows. By late afternoon Roger finally managed to shoot all but one of the attackers. The remaining Indian seemed to have given up and disappeared by dusk.

Roger led Margarita away slowly. They carefully headed east once again. He made his best effort to obscure their trail. They travelled until exhaustion and the darkness forced them to stop, eating dry jerky as they moved. This was the worse encounter with natives they had. They did see two more groups but managed to avoid them. Finally on the 47th day of travel an exhausted Roger and Margarita came into sight of the Atlantic Ocean. They walked onto the beach and stood watching the waves for several minutes before moving back into the trees near the shore. Roger allowed two days in this location for rest before they turned north in an attempt to find the lost colony.

The next 13 days of travel were brutal. They waded marshes, back tracked, slogged through mud and rivers always moving north and trying to stay in sight of the coast so they would not miss the colony. Finally about mid day on the 13th day after their rest stop Roger stopped and stared at some tree stumps. They had been cut with an axe. There were many trees cut and missing, all of a similar size. Roger hoped the colonists had cut them to use in constructing their fort.

Roger and Margarita walked on. The farther they walked the more evidence of settlers they saw. There were many trees cut and missing. They even found a couple of small fields or gardens. They walked almost another half hour before they saw a small stockade between the trees. They were just inside the woods beside a clearing on a river. Roger and Margarita slowly and carefully came from the woods, hands open and held out from their bodies. Roger saw the gate swing fully closed. The couple heard shouting from within the stockade then saw gun barrels pointing in their direction from over the ramparts.

Roger stopped and said, "Hello the Fort"

Roger watched as the men with the weapons stood and moved their aim slightly. A tall, older man came to the ramparts and addressed Roger. "Who are you and what do you want wi us?"

"I am Roger Timmons. I heard you were having a hard time of it here in Roanoke. My wife and I have come to offer assistance. May we enter your fort?"

"Aye, come on in. You have the right of it sir."

After Roger and Margarita entered the stockade they were met by the tall man who spoke to them previously. He shook Roger's hand and asked, "Did the company send ye to assist us?"

Roger looked around then said, "Perhaps it would be better if we talked in private first sir. I have some information that you may want to consider before we talk to all your colonists."

Roger and Margarita walked into the small compound and were met by the man who invited them inside. He reached out to shake Roger's hand and said, "I am Acting Governor Richard Greenville and you would be?"

Roger shook the offered hand and said, "I am Roger Timmons, Governor of the Birmingham Colony inland many miles. We are a small colony surviving on our own. The last correspondence we had with England informed us you were in dire straits. I don't have much to offer in the way of help but I came to offer to take in your colonists. We have plenty to eat and are able to grow much in the way of food stuff. Hunting in our area is plentiful and there doesn't appear to be many Indians to bother us. What Indians there are we are making friends with."

The governor looked at Roger for a moment then said, "Come into my office. We will talk more of this. Your woman can stay with the other ladies while we converse."

After they reached the office Roger explained his offer in more detail and the governor said he would have to think about the matter. He was not inclined to agree because he felt obligated to work the colony for its founders. They moved from the office to the dining area where the women began serving the meal. Each person present was given a small bowl of thin watery soup. Roger and Margarita were still almost as hungry after they finished as when they started the meal.

Roger looked at the governor and said, "Is this a typical meal sir?"

The governor looked embarrassed and said, "Yes I am afraid it is. We are starving slowly. There is not much game and during the winter we were unable to hunt or gather much food. We barely have enough to keep alive as it is sir. For some reason our crops do not grow well so we cannot harvest enough vegetables and grain to make much difference."

Roger said, "Sir there is much game. I saw much sign as I approached your fort. Either your hunters are not capable sir or they are fools. With your permission I will go out tomorrow morning and hunt. Would you please send me three men to carry the game back when I go?"

"If you can find game and kill it we would be grateful. I suspect you will be unsuccessful but you are more than welcome to try. My best hunters fail to find game most of the time."

Roger started to make another remark about the abundance of game then decided not to. Instead he said, "I saw several small fields when we approached your fort. Much of the crop is poor and some of the fields did not have anything planted that I could see. What is the story for that?"

"I know not what the problem is. We cleared the trees and planted but our crops do not grow well. It is as if the ground is tainted in some way. Crops do not grow as well in some of the fields as they did in the old worn out fields in Britain."

"What fertilize did you use? Perhaps that is it. Or perhaps the ground is too acidic for the crops. Many tree leaves in the soil release tannin or an acid that inhibits crop growth. Have you found limestone and crushed it to help sweeten the soil?"

"Why no. Never have I heard of such a thing. Put crushed rock in our gardens and fields? What earthly good could that be?"

"My people found over the years that animal waste or rotted vegetation spread on a field seemed to help crops grow. New fields and those which have been used long seemed to need refreshing with the crushed limestone or bone meal to make crops grow better. Some have even placed pieces of dead animals or fish in the holes in which they plant their seeds. This also seems to make crops grow better. Have you not seen how well grass grows around dung or dead and rotted animals? All these methods are used in my fields and we grow bountiful crops for our people."

As Roger finished his statement a man dressed in black began yelling at Margarita. He was carrying a black book in his left hand and shook it at her. He pushed her back and then backhanded her. He said, "Get on your knees and repent heathen. Pray to our Lord God to save your wretched soul."

Roger jumped to his feet and moved to the man. He intercepted another blow aimed at Margarita and the man turned on him. The man's face became a dark red and he spluttered, "You DARE to interrupt me in the performance of my duties? Lay off I say. You fornicator of heathens. How dare you bring a non believer into our presence?"

The man swung his fist at Roger. Roger reacted without thinking. He blocked the blow and swung his own fist at the preacher. He hit him in the stomach. When the preacher doubled over Roger brought up his knee and pushed on the back of his head slamming his head into his rising knee. The preacher dropped like a stone clutching his stomach. He began to turn blue as he tried to draw air into his lungs. Roger barely glanced at the fallen preacher before he moved to Margarita and pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around Roger and they stood watching the preacher as he gasped and writhed at their feet.

Roger heard a loud roar from the assembled men and women and turned to face them. The Governor moved up beside Roger and said, "What have you done Sir. You have attacked a man of God."

"No sir. I attacked an animal who attacked my wife for no reason. Now, with your permission we will call it a night."

Before he and Margarita went in search of their beds Roger dropped to his knees beside the groaning man and grabbed his greasy hair. He pulled his face until he was looking him in the eye and said, "You get one chance asshole. If I ever see or hear you bothering my wife again I will kill you. Do I make myself clear?"

The preacher gasped out, "I was but doing my duty to God and my flock. I will continue to do that duty and your threats will not dissuade me from it. I am here to guide my flock in the ways of the Lord and to save the heathen savages and any other heathens I come across and I will continue to do so."

"You can guide your flock and try to save the heathens all you wish but you will NEVER lay hands on my wife again or cause others to do so. Am I clear?"

The preacher just looked up at Roger without answering. Roger shook him and banged his head into the hard packed earth then he repeated his question. Finally the preacher gasped, "Yes. I understand."

Roger smiled and violently pushed the preacher away once again banging his head on the ground then he said, "Good. We understand each other now."

Roger stood and moved to Margarita's side where he wrapped his arm around her. He looked over at the Governor and the gathered men and women and said, "Until morning Sir."

Roger turned and began to walk toward their assigned sleeping place with Margarita. He heard a roar behind him and thumping feet. Roger turned and met a man running toward him head on. When the man was almost upon Roger he snarled, "How dare you disrespect a man of the cloth. I'll teach you manners before this night is over."

Roger pushed Margarita away and used the running man's momentum against him. He stepped aside at the last minute, leaving his leg extended. The man tripped on Roger's extended leg and was helped to the ground by Roger's sharp blow to his back. The man got up slowly and moved toward Roger once again. This time Roger was completely ready for him. He moved into the attack and struck a flurry of blows. The attacker collapsed, out cold. Roger stood and looked down on him for a moment then turned his gaze on the watching settlers. He snarled, "Anyone else need a lesson in manners before we retire for the night?" Men murmured and looked everywhere except at Roger. They slowly turned and moved away. Roger once again turned and walked with Margarita toward their bed.

Roger and Margarita woke before dawn the next morning. They rose and moved to the common area for breakfast. They were served another bowl of weak soup that was alleged to be porridge this time. As they dined the Governor came to sit beside them. He said, "I have picked our three best woodsmen to accompany you in your hunt Governor." He gestured and three large men moved up before them.

When the men arrived Roger looked up and immediately saw a surly bruised face. He turned to the Governor and said, "I'm sorry Governor. I don't have time to babysit your problem children." He pointed at the man he fought with the night before and continued, "I will not have him on the hunt with me. If you cannot find me someone else I will just take those other two."

The large man snarled and took a step toward Roger. The Governor said sharply, "That's enough Seth. Go back to your normal work." After Seth left the Governor raised his voice and said, "David Cooper. Come hunt with the Governor."

Roger and his crew collected their hunting gear then left the compound. It was barely light enough to see when they reached the edge of the woods. It sounded like a stampede to Roger. If this was moving quietly it was no wonder the settlers believed game to be scarce. He hissed at the three men accompanying him once again to move quietly. The oldest man looked at Roger angrily and said, "We are moving quietly as we can Gov'nor."

Well, if they moved as quietly as they could they would never find game. To Roger the movement sounded like a herd of elephants tromping through knee high brush. He was beginning to understand why they were so hungry and had so little fresh meat. When they entered the woods he listened, expecting the "best hunters" to begin moving slowly and more quietly but they did not. The noise from their movement continued unabated. Finally in disgust he stopped and said, "Ok you three. We have to move quietly. You are not doing that so I want you to stay here until Margarita and I shoot the game then come to us and help dress and carry it back to the fort."

The three assistants looked at each other then promptly found a place to sit. Roger and Margarita moved out of the small clearing and disappeared into the woods. Not quite twenty minutes later the three waiting men heard three shots one right after another. There was a short wait then they heard a final shot. They stood in indecision. The face of the young man who replaced Seth blanched white. He turned to the others, his fear evident in his eyes. "Cor," he said. "I think someone's attacked the Governor. Best we get back to the fort and warn them."

The three men milled in indecision for a few more minutes. They looked at the spot Roger and Margarita disappeared from their sight earlier then they looked in the direction of the fort. They moved toward Roger, then stopped and moved back to where they were instructed to wait. They looked around a few more minutes in indecision then started homeward. As they neared the east edge of the clearing Margarita appeared behind them. She shouted, "Where do you think you're going? Surely you heard our shots. You were supposed to come help with the meat when you heard us shoot. Why are you heading back toward the fort instead of to help us? Are you so turned around you do not remember where Roger and I entered the woods?"

The oldest man looked angry and then replied to Margarita. "We heard many shots close together. It was obvious more than one musket was firing at something. We have no weapons other than our knives and one musket. We decided we needed to warn the fort of the danger."

"The shots you heard were us killing your next meal you fool. Now come on. Roger needs us to help."

The three men reluctantly turned and followed Margarita deeper into the woods. It was obvious they were uncomfortable and nervous. They started at the slightest strange sound. Shortly they came to yet another clearing beside a small stream. Roger was working on one deer and two others were lying on the ground waiting attention from the crew. The young man stood and stared at the deer and said, "Blimey. The Governor's killed three deer with three shots fired faster than our best rifleman can fire twice."

The crew moved slowly toward the deer and stood unsure of what to do for a moment. Finally in disgust Margarita said, "Well, aren't you going to help here?"

The men began to dress the deer then and Margarita took over from Roger. He quickly washed his hands in the stream and stood guard. Finally, in spite of the inept work by the colonists the deer were field dressed. Roger cut two long poles and they tied the animal's feet together then slipped the poles between their crossed legs. The two largest men carried the pole with two deer on it. Margarita and the young man carried the third. Roger carried his rifle and stood guard as they began their trek back to the fort.

Just before they left the woods around the fort the men heard a loud roar. They looked to the side and saw a large black bear bounding toward them. They screamed in terror and dropped the deer. They took off toward the fort at a dead run. Margarita and the young boy also dropped their deer. He started toward the fort also but Margarita grabbed him and held him back.

Roger knelt and took a good sight picture on the bounding bear. He fired and the bear staggered then kept coming although he was moving much slower. Roger fired once again and the bear collapsed onto the dirt about thirty feet from where Roger knelt. Roger stood and carefully walked up to the bear. He poked it with the muzzle of his rifle. It did not move. Roger quickly moved to the bear and cut its throat so it would bleed out better.