Leo Tolstoy and The Bear Hunt
I felt something warm above my head and realized the bear was drawing my whole face into its mouth; my nose, already in it and feeling the heat of it… Have you had summer in Moscow and St. Petersburg this year? “the bundled-up June tourist asked at the train depot as...
A Fishing Story – Hard Rain, White Noise
Hitch knew the boy didn’t know anything about fishing. “Would you like to learn what fishing is all about?” He needed to get the boy headed in the right direction without frightening him. No one realized it, but Hitch Barlow had a very special need to find the lost boy.
Loyal to the Last
All that day the old man’s thoughts were on Malachi, the grizzly and himself. He knew what he must do, but dreaded it. Jasper Pratt came awake, suddenly pulled by the instincts of his breed as he heard the far-off cries of a wolf pack running down an animal, perhaps a...
Where the Wind Blows Free
“I told him I’d bury him in the meadow and not tell anyone. We shook hands on it, and I can’t go back on my word to him, I just can’t. If I get sent to jail, I’ll go.” “Ellie, make note of the date, time, people present and that this is an informal hearing with no...
Where Giants Fought
Morgan Hillard Tracked the grizzly 90 miles by following prints and carnage left in its wake. Three miners dead; torn limbs and partly consumed bodies, grieving widows and children, and a horde of hunters now camped near “the meeting of the rivers,” a place named by...
Nymph On The Bitterroot River
Young love, it seems, can survive even the worst of hard knocks.
Horned Moon – One Last Time
Willard, it’s time. I want to track one more mountain lion, maybe kill it. I’ve got this feeling! Somewhere in the forest came the warbling song of a night bird. Melodic, sweet sounds, but urgent and unanswered. It was quiet after that, except for the gentle breeze...