Chapter 11 Summary

Spring arrives, and nature is wakening with the new growth on trees and shrubs and the emergence of animals from winter hibernation. The village is greeting the season by getting ready to fish again, cleaning and mending all the boats and other gear. Jim and Mark accompany the fleet on the first halibut run and return with an orphaned baby seal. Mark raises it until it can learn to swim and return to the bay. He is also busy in the village, handling many of the chores and emergencies while the men are off fishing. In this role, he is called upon to deal with the death of Gordon's mother in childbirth. With Marta's help, he comforts the dying woman, alerts the RCMP and deals with all the necessary steps of service and burial. The village as a whole participates; death is a...