Here's the next chapter, I think there might only be 2 or 3 at most left. Hope people enjoy :)
Quick Recap!
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There was quite the grumble at that, I caught Aaron's eye and nodded towards him. He smiled and nodded back. No one seemed to notice our little nonverbal conversation, yet dad seemed to sense that something was up.
"I don't want any of you going into the woods for a while. I know it is tempting to think that one of you could take down the bear alone, but remember that the mother will know that something has happened to her cub, and there is nothing worse in this world then an angry mother bear." He made sure to look each of us in the eye, as he started to walk out of the barn.
Aaron and I were the last two to get leave, and he elbowed me in the ribs.
"So we're going in the woods tonight then?" He said as he laughed quickly then frowned.
"Yeah, I think that we can track the bear and take care of it and not have anyone in the family fear for their safety. The kids play in the woods all the time, and my biggest fear is one of them getting hurt because we put this off." I said as I looked out into the woods.
"Dad is going to be very, very upset when he finds us gone, but I hope we do find that bear, she will be less angry then dad will be." Aaron laughed.
All I could do at this point was nod, because he was right about all of his points. We made sure that no one was looking for us, and headed out the door and into the woods.
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We headed into the woods, both of us looking back once or twice to look at the farmhouse, knowing that everyone would be getting their evening chores started before heading to dinner.
This meant that we had about 2 hours before anyone would notice that we were gone, and with any luck we would both be back by this point. I had this strange feeling that something would happen, but I figured this was just my imagination running away again.
I shook my head and walked further into the woods, following Aaron until he stopped by the rock that John had sat on earlier when he shot the cub.
We both stood there staring at the space where the young bear charged our brother, leaving John no option but to shoot the animal. I walked over to the area, quietly bending down to check if there were any new tracks around. I noticed that the blood was still sticky around where the grass was flat from the bear. There were also a few different set of tracks, one that had belonged to the dead bear and much to my surprise there were 2 other sets of fresh bear tracks.
I stood up and turned to Aaron, smiling as I slowly stood back up to my full 6 foot 5 inches, looking into the woods for a sign that anything was out there.
"It looks like mom/dad came back looking for the cub, there are 2 sets of fresh tracks. Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked as I looked at my older brother.
"I could go alone, I think it might be fun to try to take on a bear." I smiled and laughed as I thought of wrestling with a bear.
"Yes, I'm sure that I am going to find the animal before you." He laughed.
"Now if I am going to get the bear(s) before you I suppose I should get going." Aaron jumped off the rock that he had been sitting on and punched my right arm as he headed off East into the woods.
I stood there for a minute thinking about the challenge that he had just set. I would not loose, if anything I am competitive.
I started off to the West looking back once to see if Aaron was going around to try to surprise me again.
After about 20 minutes of following the trail I started to hear the sound of animals moving through the brush. I stood there listening to the sounds, trying to figure out what animal it would be. It didn't sound big enough to be a bear, but I figured I should go around and try to peak and see what it was.
I quietly went around until I was about 20 feet from the clearing where the animal had stopped. I peeked around the a tree and saw 3 mule deer feeding off the tall grass.
I laughed at myself as I walked back to where I had last seen the bear tracks. My mind was beginning to mess with me, I have spent enough time in these woods to know the difference between a bear and some stupid deer.
I stopped and leaned against a tree wondering what Aaron could be up to, had he gone and gotten himself lost or worse had he found the bear?
I decided that I should head back and look for Aaron, dad would definitely notice that we were both gone and at that point it might be better if we didn't go back.
I was about 10 feet from the rock where we had started when I heard the brush being crushed again off to my north.
I leaned against the rock waiting for Aaron, a cougar or possibly a squirrel to come out of the woods. It seemed like I sat there for a long time waiting to see what it would be.
I sat there shaking my head when I heard the sound get much closer and much, much louder. As the sound neared the edge of the clearing I began to wonder if we made the wrong decision coming out here alone.
Quick Recap!
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
There was quite the grumble at that, I caught Aaron's eye and nodded towards him. He smiled and nodded back. No one seemed to notice our little nonverbal conversation, yet dad seemed to sense that something was up.
"I don't want any of you going into the woods for a while. I know it is tempting to think that one of you could take down the bear alone, but remember that the mother will know that something has happened to her cub, and there is nothing worse in this world then an angry mother bear." He made sure to look each of us in the eye, as he started to walk out of the barn.
Aaron and I were the last two to get leave, and he elbowed me in the ribs.
"So we're going in the woods tonight then?" He said as he laughed quickly then frowned.
"Yeah, I think that we can track the bear and take care of it and not have anyone in the family fear for their safety. The kids play in the woods all the time, and my biggest fear is one of them getting hurt because we put this off." I said as I looked out into the woods.
"Dad is going to be very, very upset when he finds us gone, but I hope we do find that bear, she will be less angry then dad will be." Aaron laughed.
All I could do at this point was nod, because he was right about all of his points. We made sure that no one was looking for us, and headed out the door and into the woods.
__________________________________________________
We headed into the woods, both of us looking back once or twice to look at the farmhouse, knowing that everyone would be getting their evening chores started before heading to dinner.
This meant that we had about 2 hours before anyone would notice that we were gone, and with any luck we would both be back by this point. I had this strange feeling that something would happen, but I figured this was just my imagination running away again.
I shook my head and walked further into the woods, following Aaron until he stopped by the rock that John had sat on earlier when he shot the cub.
We both stood there staring at the space where the young bear charged our brother, leaving John no option but to shoot the animal. I walked over to the area, quietly bending down to check if there were any new tracks around. I noticed that the blood was still sticky around where the grass was flat from the bear. There were also a few different set of tracks, one that had belonged to the dead bear and much to my surprise there were 2 other sets of fresh bear tracks.
I stood up and turned to Aaron, smiling as I slowly stood back up to my full 6 foot 5 inches, looking into the woods for a sign that anything was out there.
"It looks like mom/dad came back looking for the cub, there are 2 sets of fresh tracks. Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked as I looked at my older brother.
"I could go alone, I think it might be fun to try to take on a bear." I smiled and laughed as I thought of wrestling with a bear.
"Yes, I'm sure that I am going to find the animal before you." He laughed.
"Now if I am going to get the bear(s) before you I suppose I should get going." Aaron jumped off the rock that he had been sitting on and punched my right arm as he headed off East into the woods.
I stood there for a minute thinking about the challenge that he had just set. I would not loose, if anything I am competitive.
I started off to the West looking back once to see if Aaron was going around to try to surprise me again.
After about 20 minutes of following the trail I started to hear the sound of animals moving through the brush. I stood there listening to the sounds, trying to figure out what animal it would be. It didn't sound big enough to be a bear, but I figured I should go around and try to peak and see what it was.
I quietly went around until I was about 20 feet from the clearing where the animal had stopped. I peeked around the a tree and saw 3 mule deer feeding off the tall grass.
I laughed at myself as I walked back to where I had last seen the bear tracks. My mind was beginning to mess with me, I have spent enough time in these woods to know the difference between a bear and some stupid deer.
I stopped and leaned against a tree wondering what Aaron could be up to, had he gone and gotten himself lost or worse had he found the bear?
I decided that I should head back and look for Aaron, dad would definitely notice that we were both gone and at that point it might be better if we didn't go back.
I was about 10 feet from the rock where we had started when I heard the brush being crushed again off to my north.
I leaned against the rock waiting for Aaron, a cougar or possibly a squirrel to come out of the woods. It seemed like I sat there for a long time waiting to see what it would be.
I sat there shaking my head when I heard the sound get much closer and much, much louder. As the sound neared the edge of the clearing I began to wonder if we made the wrong decision coming out here alone.
