Chapter 18 Summary

In early January, the weather turns very cold, and after a couple of days the river by Kingcome freezes over. This makes it impossible to get the boats out and thus very difficult to get food or fuel in. To get through this period, the whole village works together. The emphasis is on cooperation, not competition. Once it warms up enough to melt the ice, Mark and Jim take the larger boat to get food and fuel, which is shared by all in the village. The warming, with cold rain, causes illness, however. Again, the village works together to help everyone and keep them alive.

In February, Mark and Jim are able to travel to the remote villages. The most important aspect of the trips is simple human contact. On the return trip, they find Calamity alone in his shack, dying from an...