In Darkest Depths

think?”

“I think I would like to put my dress on.”

Embarrassed by his oversight, Nate scooped it up, brought his canoe over alongside the dugout, and, averting his eyes, held the dress out. “Sorry. I should have done this sooner.”

Blue Water Woman went to slip it on, then glanced at Shakespeare. “You too.”

“Me what?”

“Look the other way.”

“This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard,” Shakespeare quoted. “I am your husband. I have seen you bare more times than I have fingers and toes times a thousand.”

“Nonetheless, you will look the other way. And when we get back, you will take down your steeple. And you will never again, for as long as we live, sneak out onto this lake or any other by yourself. Agreed?”

“There’s villainy abroad.”

“If there is, it is yours, not mine. Are we agreed?”

“A stewed prune has more faith than you,” Shakespeare resorted to the Bard. “Very well. No looking, no steeple, no sneaking. Is there anything else your humble slave might do for her majesty?”

“Get us to shore. Right away, if you please.”

“I don’t have a paddle.”

“Then we will climb in with Nate. But we will not stay out here an instant longer than we have to.”

Shakespeare sighed. “You heard the lady, Horatio. We are coming aboard.”

“And that’s it?” Nate said. “We let the fish live and go on with our lives as if nothing ever happened?”

“Remember what the Bard said.” Shakespeare responded with a weary smile. “All’s well that ends well.”

Author’s Note

As long-time readers of the popular Wilderness series are aware, Nate King, like many mountain men, loved to tell tall tales. He relates a number of them in his journal.

In order to truly show Nate’s character and quirks, I have taken the liberty of turning some of those tall tales into stories. The Lost Valley and Fang and Claw are two of the more notable. (Some would add Mountain Devil to the list, but I leave it up to you whether such creatures as Sasquatch or Bigfoot exist.)

Which brings us to In Darkest Depths. It, too, might qualify as a tall tale, except that in his journal Nate states that the events really happened and were not a figment of his brandy-influenced imagination.

As with Mountain Devil, you must decide whether to believe or disbelieve. I would only note certain news accounts, some of which you might have heard, where incredibly huge fish have been pulled from lakes and rivers and even ponds.

Perhaps, to take a page from McNair’s passion, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy.

Enjoy the Wilderness series by

David Thompson

from the very beginning!

#1: KING OF THE MOUNTAIN

#2: LURE OF THE WILD

#3: SAVAGE RENDEZVOUS

#4: BLOOD FURY

#5: TOMAHAWK REVENGE

#6: BLACK POWDER JUSTICE

#7: VENGEANCE TRAIL

#8: DEATH HUNT

#9: MOUNTAIN DEVIL HAWKEN FURY (Giant Edition)

#10: BLACKFOOT MASSACRE

#11: NORTHWEST PASSAGE

#12: APACHE BLOOD

#13: MOUNTAIN MANHUNT

#14: TENDERFOOT

#15: WINTERKILL

#16: BLOOD TRUCE

#17: TRAPPER’S BLOOD

#18: MOUNTAIN CAT

#19: IRON WARRIOR

#20: WOLF PACK

#21: BLACK POWDER

#22: TRAIL’S END

#23: THE LOST VALLEY

#24: MOUNTAIN MADNESS