the lumberjacks’ shotgun.”
“They’ll have to be awfully close for me to hit anything with a shotgun, boss.”
“Don’t fucking argue with me you cocksucker. Just do as I say, or the crazy bears will be the least of your worries!”
Stephens gave the girl his pistol with obvious reluctance and consternation. He made a big show out of drawing the weapon from its holster and handing it to her. “Don’t shoot your nose off,” he said, and then reached for the shotgun leaning against the wall. “Hope those tree jockeys took care of this thing.”
Morgan moved toward the window, followed closely by Gunderson. Parker was hunched over at the window, long rifle up and at the ready. Morgan placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned close.
“You boys sure they’re out there? You’re not just jumping at shadows?”
“Take a deep breath, boss,” Parker muttered. “You’ll see for yourself.”
Morgan inhaled through his nose and scowled. “Christ almighty. I reckon you’re right.”
“Smells like the inside of a Grizzly bear’s stomach,” Johnson said.
Morgan strode to the center of the room. His shoulders were squared, his muscles taught and tense, his eyes awake and alert.
“Okay, boys,” he said. “Ya’ll know what to do. Gunderson and Stephens, get that door unblocked. Clara, I want you and Gunderson at the door, so we can shoot at them if they come in the perimeter, but be ready to barricade it if they break through our defenses. Parker and Johnson—you’ve got the window. Stephens, you hold back with that shotgun. If they get in too close, the others will holler out. Then you rush in and blast them. Everybody clear?”
The group nodded. Their expressions were grim, but none of them seemed terrified now that the danger was at hand. Gunderson and Stephens quickly moved aside the blockade in front of the door. Then, while Gunderson and Clara stood ready with weapons pointed at the door, Stephens opened it. Gunderson knelt on one side of the doorway. Clara stood on the other side. Stephens backed up and stood between them. All three peered out into the darkness. With the door open, the stench grew stronger inside the cabin.
“What about me?” Crystal asked Morgan. “What should I do?”
“You just stay close to me, darlin’. If they get inside—and let’s hope they don’t, but if they do—then don’t you hesitate to start shooting. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Morgan turned to Parker and Johnson who were staring out the window. “See anything?”
“No,” Parker whispered. “It’s too damned dark out there. Maybe ol’ Gunderson might be able to spot something, but I can’t see shit.”
“Wait,” Gunderson murmured, still down on one knee. “There’s some clouds over the moon. They’ll pass in a minute. Then we should be able to see better.”
Clara glanced at him. “What if—”
THWUMP
Something struck the roof of the cabin hard enough to send dust and dirt drifting down from the rafters. Crystal and Johnson both screamed. Parker teetered backward in surprise, nearly falling off his chair. Clara and Stephens both jumped. Only Gunderson and Morgan remained calm as they gazed upward. Morgan held a finger to his lips, signaling the others to be silent.
THWUMP THWUMP THWUMP
Crystal screamed again. Wheeling around, Morgan clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her close.
“Quiet,” he whispered in her ear.
Moving quickly but quietly, Gunderson crossed the floor and closed the door, even as more blows rained down on the cabin’s roof. Each one shook the rafters, spilling more dirt and dust down on them. A long splinter of pine cracked overhead as yet another crash vibrated through the timbers. The bunkhouse trembled.
Parker jumped out of his chair and backed away from the window.
“What the hell is it?” Johnson yelled. “Just what the hell is going on here?”
“Shut up,” Morgan shouted. “All of you! Listen, goddamn your eyes. And watch that window.”
Johnson
“They’ll have to be awfully close for me to hit anything with a shotgun, boss.”
“Don’t fucking argue with me you cocksucker. Just do as I say, or the crazy bears will be the least of your worries!”
Stephens gave the girl his pistol with obvious reluctance and consternation. He made a big show out of drawing the weapon from its holster and handing it to her. “Don’t shoot your nose off,” he said, and then reached for the shotgun leaning against the wall. “Hope those tree jockeys took care of this thing.”
Morgan moved toward the window, followed closely by Gunderson. Parker was hunched over at the window, long rifle up and at the ready. Morgan placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned close.
“You boys sure they’re out there? You’re not just jumping at shadows?”
“Take a deep breath, boss,” Parker muttered. “You’ll see for yourself.”
Morgan inhaled through his nose and scowled. “Christ almighty. I reckon you’re right.”
“Smells like the inside of a Grizzly bear’s stomach,” Johnson said.
Morgan strode to the center of the room. His shoulders were squared, his muscles taught and tense, his eyes awake and alert.
“Okay, boys,” he said. “Ya’ll know what to do. Gunderson and Stephens, get that door unblocked. Clara, I want you and Gunderson at the door, so we can shoot at them if they come in the perimeter, but be ready to barricade it if they break through our defenses. Parker and Johnson—you’ve got the window. Stephens, you hold back with that shotgun. If they get in too close, the others will holler out. Then you rush in and blast them. Everybody clear?”
The group nodded. Their expressions were grim, but none of them seemed terrified now that the danger was at hand. Gunderson and Stephens quickly moved aside the blockade in front of the door. Then, while Gunderson and Clara stood ready with weapons pointed at the door, Stephens opened it. Gunderson knelt on one side of the doorway. Clara stood on the other side. Stephens backed up and stood between them. All three peered out into the darkness. With the door open, the stench grew stronger inside the cabin.
“What about me?” Crystal asked Morgan. “What should I do?”
“You just stay close to me, darlin’. If they get inside—and let’s hope they don’t, but if they do—then don’t you hesitate to start shooting. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Morgan turned to Parker and Johnson who were staring out the window. “See anything?”
“No,” Parker whispered. “It’s too damned dark out there. Maybe ol’ Gunderson might be able to spot something, but I can’t see shit.”
“Wait,” Gunderson murmured, still down on one knee. “There’s some clouds over the moon. They’ll pass in a minute. Then we should be able to see better.”
Clara glanced at him. “What if—”
THWUMP
Something struck the roof of the cabin hard enough to send dust and dirt drifting down from the rafters. Crystal and Johnson both screamed. Parker teetered backward in surprise, nearly falling off his chair. Clara and Stephens both jumped. Only Gunderson and Morgan remained calm as they gazed upward. Morgan held a finger to his lips, signaling the others to be silent.
THWUMP THWUMP THWUMP
Crystal screamed again. Wheeling around, Morgan clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her close.
“Quiet,” he whispered in her ear.
Moving quickly but quietly, Gunderson crossed the floor and closed the door, even as more blows rained down on the cabin’s roof. Each one shook the rafters, spilling more dirt and dust down on them. A long splinter of pine cracked overhead as yet another crash vibrated through the timbers. The bunkhouse trembled.
Parker jumped out of his chair and backed away from the window.
“What the hell is it?” Johnson yelled. “Just what the hell is going on here?”
“Shut up,” Morgan shouted. “All of you! Listen, goddamn your eyes. And watch that window.”
Johnson
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