surprise.
“Listen,” she said.
“What is it?”
She shushed Ryan with an abrupt motion of her hand.
“There,” she said. “Did you hear that?”
Alex tilted his head. “Over there.”
They turned toward a small thicket a few metres away. It was a stand of young birch, no more than ten feet tall, at whose feet a number of shrubs huddled. Something hidden in the shadows caused the brush to rustle and sway. June heard again the fretful sound that had first caught her ear.
“What do we do now?”
Alex turned to Ryan. “I need a length of rope, about three metres long. And a blanket or piece of tarp, something like that.”
“I’ll check in the four-wheeler.” Ryan walked to his ATV and lifted the lid of the plastic case strapped on the back. He came back with a long piece of yellow nylon rope and a ratty old plaid blanket.
June didn’t take her eyes off the subtle movements. Ryan handed the rope to Alex, who wound it in generous loops and hooked it on his elbow. He threw the blanket over his shoulder.
“Okay,” he said softly. “I’m going to make a wide circle far around the bush. When I close in behind, I want you both to rush up. We’ll roust him out.”
They waited, motionless, as Alex strolled casually away. He took up position, unfolded the blanket and held it in front of him, rather like a matador’s cape.
Ryan watched June. She nodded, and the quiet of the wilderness shattered with their screams and yells. They ran wildly toward the bushes.
The bear cub’s nerve held until they were practically on top of it. Then it shot out the far side, a black ball of fur, squealing and bawling, staring white-eyed over its shoulder. Alex made a diving tackle, and miraculously managed to wrap the cub in the blanket on the first try. Ryan and June ran up and helped him hold the wriggling, squiggling bundle. Piteous whimpers and squeals rent the air.
“Now what?” June asked breathlessly. Despite the cub’s small size, it put up a valiant effort to get free, sharp little claws scrabbling at her through the blanket.
“Hold him.” Alex pulled the rope off his arm. “I’ll get him secured.”
After more hectic minutes, they had the cub safely tied up inside the blanket. Alex left its head free, but dropped a noose over its muzzle to stop it biting, causing the cub to growl and hiss in frustration. June had added another scrape to her healing collection, Ryan’s toque had come off in the battle, and Alex’s neatly pressed uniform was scuffed and bedraggled. They paused for a breather.
“What are you going to do with him?” Ryan panted.
“We’ll have to take him with us.” Alex sucked the knuckles of his hand where needle-like teeth had gashed him. “We don’t really have much choice. He’s far too young to survive on his own. There’s a wildlife refuge west of Prince George. When we get back to town I’ll give Cindy a call and see if she can take him.”
“Will he travel all right in the helicopter?” June asked.
“I’ve got a veterinary kit in the storage compartment,” Alex said. “I’ll give him a shot of tranquillizer, enough to keep him calm. We should be okay.” He looked from the furious little bundle on the ground to the four-wheelers they had arrived on. “But first, we have to get him there.”
In the end, June drove the ATV back to camp, with Alex perched precariously behind her, facing backward, cradling the cub on his lap and letting his long legs trail over the rear of the machine. She could feel the muscles in his back flex and strain as he curbed the cub’s efforts to get free. Once at the tree planters’ camp, Alex dug out a syringe and injected the cub with a minuscule dose. Its whimpers and cries faded away, and even though its eyes remained open, the ferociousness left them, replaced with drowsy bewilderment.
They made a tiny nest in the space behind the pilot’s seat, and Alex lifted the bear in. He loosened the noose around its nose, but kept it in
“Listen,” she said.
“What is it?”
She shushed Ryan with an abrupt motion of her hand.
“There,” she said. “Did you hear that?”
Alex tilted his head. “Over there.”
They turned toward a small thicket a few metres away. It was a stand of young birch, no more than ten feet tall, at whose feet a number of shrubs huddled. Something hidden in the shadows caused the brush to rustle and sway. June heard again the fretful sound that had first caught her ear.
“What do we do now?”
Alex turned to Ryan. “I need a length of rope, about three metres long. And a blanket or piece of tarp, something like that.”
“I’ll check in the four-wheeler.” Ryan walked to his ATV and lifted the lid of the plastic case strapped on the back. He came back with a long piece of yellow nylon rope and a ratty old plaid blanket.
June didn’t take her eyes off the subtle movements. Ryan handed the rope to Alex, who wound it in generous loops and hooked it on his elbow. He threw the blanket over his shoulder.
“Okay,” he said softly. “I’m going to make a wide circle far around the bush. When I close in behind, I want you both to rush up. We’ll roust him out.”
They waited, motionless, as Alex strolled casually away. He took up position, unfolded the blanket and held it in front of him, rather like a matador’s cape.
Ryan watched June. She nodded, and the quiet of the wilderness shattered with their screams and yells. They ran wildly toward the bushes.
The bear cub’s nerve held until they were practically on top of it. Then it shot out the far side, a black ball of fur, squealing and bawling, staring white-eyed over its shoulder. Alex made a diving tackle, and miraculously managed to wrap the cub in the blanket on the first try. Ryan and June ran up and helped him hold the wriggling, squiggling bundle. Piteous whimpers and squeals rent the air.
“Now what?” June asked breathlessly. Despite the cub’s small size, it put up a valiant effort to get free, sharp little claws scrabbling at her through the blanket.
“Hold him.” Alex pulled the rope off his arm. “I’ll get him secured.”
After more hectic minutes, they had the cub safely tied up inside the blanket. Alex left its head free, but dropped a noose over its muzzle to stop it biting, causing the cub to growl and hiss in frustration. June had added another scrape to her healing collection, Ryan’s toque had come off in the battle, and Alex’s neatly pressed uniform was scuffed and bedraggled. They paused for a breather.
“What are you going to do with him?” Ryan panted.
“We’ll have to take him with us.” Alex sucked the knuckles of his hand where needle-like teeth had gashed him. “We don’t really have much choice. He’s far too young to survive on his own. There’s a wildlife refuge west of Prince George. When we get back to town I’ll give Cindy a call and see if she can take him.”
“Will he travel all right in the helicopter?” June asked.
“I’ve got a veterinary kit in the storage compartment,” Alex said. “I’ll give him a shot of tranquillizer, enough to keep him calm. We should be okay.” He looked from the furious little bundle on the ground to the four-wheelers they had arrived on. “But first, we have to get him there.”
In the end, June drove the ATV back to camp, with Alex perched precariously behind her, facing backward, cradling the cub on his lap and letting his long legs trail over the rear of the machine. She could feel the muscles in his back flex and strain as he curbed the cub’s efforts to get free. Once at the tree planters’ camp, Alex dug out a syringe and injected the cub with a minuscule dose. Its whimpers and cries faded away, and even though its eyes remained open, the ferociousness left them, replaced with drowsy bewilderment.
They made a tiny nest in the space behind the pilot’s seat, and Alex lifted the bear in. He loosened the noose around its nose, but kept it in
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