Chapter 36 – The Bear
Sue drove us hard for two days after we left the Lightning Strike. We crossed the Painted Desert in an eighteen hour ride to Holbrook Wells. That had the mules very tired, Linda and Amelia held up pretty good but Gloria's ass was dragging. I was doing okay, had a sore butt and I really needed a bath when we got to Holbrook. I got about three hours sleep before Sue had us up and driving eighty miles to Flagstaff. Another fourteen hour ride in the hot sun.
I got the mules fed and rested a little in Flagstaff. Forage was still good and the water was clear and still cool in the streams. Sue let us rest the mules and horses. I tried to keep watch but fell asleep in the wee hours.
Sue's laugh in my ear woke me with a start. She was grinning at me, "That will cost you twenty bucks mister; sleeping on duty, Josh what am I going to do with you?"
I looked around, the sun was just breaking the rim of the earth, "Oh shit Sue...," I didn't continue. It was Corps policy, the one who caught you sleeping got the twenty bucks and until it was paid, you were that persons slave.
Sue was looking pretty happy and said, "Go check the stock, I'll wake Amelia and Linda. I'll let Gloria sleep 'til breakfast is ready."
I pulled my shit together and got up. We had made a hasty camp in the night and I saw that we could have done better. There was a nice bit of grass just a bit further on and the mules were eying it as I walked out to where they were picketed.
I got the hammer and started to move the stock into the better grass. It took a while to do it, getting five and moving them then another five and so on until I got to the horses. I left Barb where she was just in case I needed her. After I had moved the horses, I came back to her and checked her feet. She looked in longing at the sweet grass and shook her head at me nickering.
"Okay Girl, I'll move you after breakfast," she gave me a soulful look and nibbled at the sparse grass at her feet.
Bacon and corn mush were cooking when I got back to camp. Amelia looked up, her face harder than normal and said, "Sue said you had to cook the bacon." She got up and let me have her place at the fire, "Is it true she caught you sleeping?" The tone of her voice was severe. Linda, who was kneeling on the far side of the fire, stirring the mush, glanced at me and looked away down into the fire.
I hung my head and took Amelia's place at the fire, "Yeah that ride after the Painted Desert wore me out, I know there is no excuse." I shifted the bacon a little with the fork and moved the heavy pan off to the side a little so it would cook evenly.
I looked at Linda, "I remember the moon going down and was doing squats for a while. I did two circuits and what a bitch that was in the dark. Then I sat down and began to warm up."
Amelia grinned, "Well no harm done. So you're her slave until you can pay her off?"
"Yeah I hope she isn't mean about it."
Linda laughed and grinned at me. She gave me that Golden Goddess smile, her eyes wide open, "Oh I don't think you'll have much to complain about, Josh."
I looked at her for more information but she looked away at Sue who had woken Gloria.
Gloria, as she pulled down her blanket, sat up and said, "Aren't we there yet!"
Sue laughed, "Soon I promise."
Gloria got up, put her blanket over her shoulders and stumbled away.
I adjusted the bacon, savored the aroma and thought,
"With the scents of frying bacon, pine, drying grasses, sweat and camp smoke, it wasn't a bad day to be a slave."
Sue came up and looked down at me smirking, "When you've finished with the bacon, you can feed the stock and water them. That corn mush will take a long time and," She smirked, "I know you like it thick and not too hot."
I looked at Sue and shook my head, "Yes Ma'am," and looked down at the bacon.
I heard Barb nicker and thought that Gloria must have gone out to check on her. I looked out and saw a large bear just emerging from the brush on the stream banks.
"Bear!" I yelled, and pointed. Sue spun and ran for her carbine. I jumped to my Carbine and ran out to untie Barb before the Bear got to her.
It was not even going to be close, the bear was speeding up and would get to Barb well before me. I made the decision to shoot while the bear and Barb were separated; I dropped to one knee and cocked the piece. I took aim and Gloria came out of nowhere and jerked the half hitch that held Barb and waved her arms to make Barb shy and bolt. The bear started to go for Barb but then looked at Gloria, who was now between me and the bear by the time she had stopped from her sprint.
"Gloria get down, Now!" I yelled, and took aim again. Gloria dropped flat and I saw the beast was almost on her. I fired the shot and the recoil of the heavy carbine made me loose sight of the bear.
By the time I caught sight of the bear again, he was snarling and leaping at Gloria's body on the ground. That's when I felt Sue's carbine go off just behind my ear it seemed like. The slug hit the bear dead center in the chest and it reared up a little and fell forward on to Gloria.
I pulled my belt knife and rushed to Gloria and the bear. Sue was right behind me. We flipped the dead bear off Gloria, who was screaming, "Get it off. Get it off me!"
Gloria had some blood on her back, but it seemed to have come from the bear. Sue slowly turned her over and Gloria leaped up and backed away from the bear.
"Is it dead?" she asked as she backed further away.
I looked at the bear then at Gloria and said, "Yeah, he's dead. You scared me out of a year's growth."
Gloria put her hands over her crotch and said as she turned back to camp, "I need to change."
Sue chuckled and waved to Amelia, "Help Gloria get cleaned up. Linda check the food, I still want my breakfast." She turned to me, "Well, you better go get your horse, Josh."
"Yeah, Barb could be half the way to Canada by now." I went to get my saddle.
Linda came over from the camp fire and handed me her bridle, "Here take my horse, she can catch the barb."
I gave Linda a kiss on the cheek and took the bridle from her, "I just hope I can catch her. She looked pretty spooked when she left and two gunshots probably just pushed her harder."
I looked for Barb as I walked up to where the other horses were picketed. They were all a little nervous as I began to saddle Linda's chestnut. I was just tightening the cinch when I felt a nudge to my shoulder and turned, it was Barb; she put her head over my shoulder and nibbled at my shirt pocket.
I caught her lead rope and dug out a couple of dried apple pieces that I had and gave them to her. I stroked her neck and said, "He scared you pretty good, but you didn't run off. I don't know what I did to deserve you Barb." She looked at me and shook her head.
Sue was yelling and waving to me, so I tied Barb to the chestnut's picket and mounted the chestnut, riding wide of the bear until I could approach the bear and Sue from up wind.
Sue came out to meet me and saying, "Give me a rope and I'll tie the bear on. We'll drag him down there to butcher him."
I gave her my lariat. She tied on the bear and brought me the end of the rope. I let her get up behind me, took a couple of wraps around the saddle horn and started to pull the bear.