Jacob Lane

By Ron Gruber

This is a story about a man who left the modern world and his military career behind to begin a life in the Canadian wilderness. He is however not alone. Always by his side is faithful companion Shivah, and an old bush man named Old Bill. He lives most of his life alone in a well built cabin but on occasion does make it to the town of Nugget where his old army boss owns a general store. He is also a special friend to Dr. Kathy Mason. As beautiful as nature is, it has also proven to be a dangerous yet rewarding place. Making friends with a large wolf was a feat that many just couldn't believe yet both Jacob and the wolf he named Momma seemed to watch out for each other in times of need. Jacob was called upon to put his army training to use as he captured poachers with the help of Old Bill and Momma. This is the type of story that will place you there, a place where time and money have no meaning and the peace and serenity is all that matters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CanamBooks
• Release date: Jan 8, 2021

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Ron Gruber

All Rights Reserved

Printed in Canada

This book was created with the assistance of

CanamBooks self-publishing services

ISBN (print) 978-1-7774462-0-8

ISBN (EPUB) 978-1-7774462-1-5

ISBN (MOBI) 978-1-7774462-2-2

Cover photo: Shutterstock.com/Zane Maughmer

Copy editor: Sharon Lax

Design and layout: Ted Sancton/Studio Melrose

This book is available for purchase on

the CanamBooks Store: www.canambooks.com/store

Foreword

Ron Gruber’s character, Jacob, an adventurer who lives off the land, has made a conscious decision to be self-sufficient. He and his faithful fur companion, Shivah, a dog with a large capacity for love and loyalty, are not alone out in the wilderness. A host of human and non-human beings populate Jacob’s and Shivah’s world and watch out for them. For the urban dweller, Jacob’s world may at first seem like a beautiful but ­ultimately lonely place, where a person has to struggle every day to survive. As readers learn more about this life Jacob has decided to live, his choices become as clear as the reflection of the sunshine along the rivers where he and Shivah travel by canoe. Jacob is not at all alone, his neighbours and friends many. In the spirit of Jack London, Gruber has painted a world that calls to the traveler and adventurer, the person who loves nature and answers the yearning within every one of us to re-member our connection with the natural world.

Sharon Lax, Author of Shattered Fossils,

a short story collection

Dedication

This is my first book, and I’m hoping it’s the seed to many more. There are a few people I’d like to thank for making my dream a reality. First and foremost, I’d like to thank my wife, Earleen, for without her, this would still be a dream. Gently nudging me forward, with her opinions, ideas and support, she made this possible. I’d also like to thank Peter and Lana for critiquing my work, which helped me to turn it into a professionally written piece.

Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank my form­er teacher, Barb Van Grinsven. The lessons I learn­ed from her and her confidence in my writing, even at such a young age, are things I have never forgotten. I hope everyone enjoys reading this book as much as I did ­writing it.

Chapter 1

Jacob Lane

It was the type of morning that made Jacob realize exactly why he was living here in Canada’s North. The frost hung heavy on the leaves and on the grass, while the smell of the breakfast he’d just finished hung in the air. A few more pieces of wood in the stove, and he’d be all set for the day.

Jacob Lane was living the life he’d always dreamt about ever since his father took him camping at a very young age. He learned how to hunt and fish and survive, knowing that one day he’d be living it all. It was a long, hard road, but finally at age 40 his dream had come true.

Born in a small town, Jacob Lane grew up, like most kids, playing hockey and lacrosse and just plain having fun. At age 18, despite his parent’s wishes, he joined the Canadian military…in particular the army. He moved quickly through the ranks because of his uncanny ability to search out and capture the enemy. This ability also earned him the nickname Hunter. It was a name which he was proud of. His unique skill also earned him a place with the CASF (Canadian Army Special Forces). Life with the CASF enhanced the skills he already had and also taught him many more. His missions were always secretive, so there was never any glory, which is just the way he liked it. He never spoke about his missions, not even to the men directly involved. In his faithful service of twenty-odd years, he’d seen far more evil all over the world than any one man should ever see. It was those images, seared onto his brain, that had brought him to today.

About 3 years ago, he had found an old abandoned cabin deep in the woods. He’d found it by accident, near a remote lake; a friend had taken him up in his helicopter, looking for a lake to do some fishing and relaxing. Falling in love with the place, Jacob Lane promptly made plans to live out the rest of his life there. He had no remaining family to worry about. His parents had passed away within days of each other while he was serving overseas, so Jacob left all he had behind. He sold his house and most of his belongings and, together with his military pension and his newly rescued pit bull, ­Shivah, had all he really needed. He rescued Shivah from an animal shelter, and, truth be told, Jacob had often thought that it was actually Shivah who rescued him. She was fiercely loyal, and he never went anywhere without her by his side. He often said he’d much rather talk to her than to most people he knew. Within a couple of months, Jacob and Shivah began living his dream.

The cabin was in good shape now, but that wasn’t the case when he’d first found it.

The chopper landed on a lake and dropped off Jacob and Shivah, along with their fishing gear and some food. Being the curious type, he decided to go for a walk to see what the area had to offer. It was Shivah who saw something first. She stopped dead in her tracks and perked up her ears. In a heavily wooded area, Jacob saw what looked to be an old cabin of some sort. As he approached, he saw it was an old abandoned cabin made from wooden siding. It had holes in the roof and in the walls and was a home to a host of local critters and ­rodents, who figured it was their home and that they shouldn’t have to move. Jacob decided that it was best if they did. The cabin also came with two rather rundown, small buildings nearby. He figured they’d been built close, so they’d be