Miracle in the Wilderness Read Free

miracles of Christmas Eve and that they were murmuring in unison, “Glory to God in the highest. On earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
    Then he likewise knelt in the snow crying to his wife, “Ah, Dorcas! Kneel thou too! For it is midnight of the eve of Christmas when Jesus was born and the beasts of burden and the wild things of the field and forest bend the knee to worship and adore Him and are given the power of speech to pray.”
    Dorcas had taken her child from the Algonkin who was too amazed to resist and cradling it in her arms tightly to her breast she also knelt. Her lips moved but her eyes were blinded by tears.
    Then Jasper Adams, with no thought of themselves or their plight, prayed a welcome to The Child, “Gentle Jesus, come to be our Savior. I will worship Thee and hearken to Thy commandments. Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men . . .”
    Quanta was mystified and impressed by the strange sight and the agony which he knew the white man must be enduring for he had both dealt the man some of his wounds and performed the rough surgery on them. Fortitude he could understand and admire but here undoubtedly was a great mystery. He said to Nyagway, “Ask him does he know the meaning of this.”
    Nyagway did so. Jasper Adams replied only, “Hush! Kneel down, all ye, and pray likewise. Praise the Lord God on high for this is the hour of the birth of his only begotten Son.”
    Confused, the interpreter translated as best he could and the Indians moved uneasily in the presence of the unknown. The antlered buck now heaved himself slowly to his forefeet followed by the doe and the little fawn, but remained yet standing there unafraid on the carpet of snow in the center of the glade.
    To Dorcas, too, it seemed as though there had been a peal of sounds of beauty as though from above and she felt herself suffused with a new courage and a great love and she pressed her child more closely to her breast and loved and wept over him.
    For yet another moment the buck remained standing, his head raised high seemingly oblivious to those ringing the edge of the glade and to Jasper Adams his proud penetrating glance appeared to be directed at him, piercing him to the marrow as though communicating a shared experience. Then slowly the beast turned and followed in single file by his doe and fawn trotted across the circle and vanished in the darkness of the forest.
    The majestic passage of these lords of the woods had hypnotized the Indians into unbelieving silence so that they were hardly aware of the departure until they looked again and saw that the animals had disappeared as though they had never been there. And yet, although the moonbathed glade was empty there was evidence of the disturbed snow where they had knelt and their tracks leading away.
    Quanta with a shudder said to Nyagway, “Ask him what is this magic. To what Manitou does he pray?”
    Nyagway translated. Jasper Adams endured the torment of regaining his feet, but Dorcas, lacking the strength, remained in the snow rocking her child.
    “To the Lord God and His only begotten Son Jesus Christ who was born on this Holy Night for to save the sinners of the world . . .”
    Quanta was puzzled. “But what of the deer that knelt?” he asked. “Is there a tale?”
    Jasper Adams said to Nyagway, “Tell him aye.”
    Quanta instructed, “Release him. Order him that we would hear it now.”
    The Indians like children squatted cross-legged, Nyagway in the center, his fat features as placid as a Buddha’s as he attuned himself to his task.
    Jasper Adams, his hands freed, stood swaying, fighting to hold himself erect, struggling to remember through the fog of pain his Testaments and childhood teachings.
    He began: “A new star appeared in the sky over Bethlehem on such a night as this many hundreds of years ago, one never before seen by any man. In the east, Three Wise Men were traveling. They saw the star in the Heavens and knew that the King