Giants in the Earth Book 1, Chapter 3 Summary

Rosie! —Rosie!

  • It looks like the food supply is winding down among the Norwegian settlers. Everyone shares in order to help the community, but it's still not enough. The men have a meeting to discuss what they're going to do. They decide that they'll have to make the long trip to town to get food, clothing, and everything they'll need to survive the winter.
  • While the men get ready to leave, the others worry about what'll happen if a band of hostile Native Americans comes through the area while the men are all gone. They decide that the best way is for Per Hansa to stay behind.
  • As you can imagine, Hansa isn't such a big fan of this plan, but he accepts it and works hard while the men are gone so he can catch up with their farm progress.
  • Sure enough, a group of Native American travelers passes through the area while the other men are gone. Per Hansa tells Ole to get his gun ready but not to bring it out unless Hansa says so. He is determined to treat the Native American people with politeness even though Beret is scared.
  • Nothing looks like it's going to happen until all of the Norwegians' cows get curious and run to meet the approaching Native Americans. Per Hansa has to run out to retrieve his family's cow Rosie.
  • The Native Americans welcome Per Hansa and he sits down with them and borrows some of their tobacco to smoke. While sitting, he notices a man lying next to him who has a badly infected hand. Hansa realizes that the hand could kill the man with blood poisoning if he doesn't act soon.
  • He uses a Norwegian remedy to help the guy out, and it looks like the guy is going to recover. As a token of thanks, the guy gives Per Hansa a brand new pony. Hansa is overwhelmed by the man's gratitude. After this, he won't let anyone say anything bad about the Native Americans.
  • The day after the Native Americans leave, the other men return from their trip to Sioux Falls for supplies. They think they've been having all the adventures, but it's Per Hansa who has the grand stories to tell about curing a Native American's blood poisoning and getting a free pony in the deal.
  • The settlers have another party and crack open a few bottles of liquor that the men bought in Sioux Falls. Everyone seems to be in pretty high spirits.
  • The next day, misfortune strikes when the settlers realize that all of their cows have gone missing. Some are quick to accuse the Native Americans of making off with them, since the cows seemed so eager to follow them the first time the Native Americans showed up. Per Hansa thinks this accusation is unfair, though, and he vows to go out and find the cows.
  • Sure enough, Hansa eventually returns home with the animals, having found them near a nearby river. He rolls his eyes at everyone who was so quick to blame the Native Americans.
  • Per Hansa is gone a long time, but he eventually returns with the cows. Along the way, he decided to buy some chickens, too. He also convinced another famer to lend him a bull so that he can breed his cow for the next season.