Wolf Stalker by Gloria Skurzynski Page A

collar on. The rangers’ll follow the signal and….”
    â€œShine your light here,” Troy said, pointing to the rectangular box at the bottom of the wolf’s collar, the part that held the batteries.
    â€œYeah?” Jack peered more closely. “What?”
    â€œJust look. See that?” The battery pack was shattered as if something inside it had exploded.
    â€œWhat happened to it?”
    â€œSome jerk shot it,” Troy said. “A piece of the bullet’s still jammed inside there—you can see it.”
    â€œI don’t get it. If it tore up the collar, how can he be bleeding from his side?” Jack asked. It didn’t make sense. “I mean, it couldn’t have hit him in his left side and then gone around the front to smash into the collar, could it?”
    â€œNo. I’ve seen gunshot wounds before,” Troy said. “The torn place in his side’s from a bullet. One hit there, and another one got the collar.”
    â€œBut there was only one shot,” Ashley insisted. “Right, Jack? You heard it same as me. It was so loud we couldn’t have missed it if there’d been a second one.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it now,” Jack said. “We need to get moving. Come on, Troy. It’s late, and it’s going to be a long hike down to the creek.”
    For a moment Troy didn’t answer. Then he said, “If the wolf dies, I don’t want him to die alone. I’m staying.”
    â€œAre you crazy? What good will that do?” Jack started to protest, but Ashley pulled on his hand to quiet him as Troy knelt closer to the wolf.
    The big animal really did appear near death. Its mouth opened, letting the tongue loll out as if the wolf needed more air, yet its chest barely moved. Speaking very softly, Troy said, “He’s scared. I want to be here for him.”
    â€œIt would be hard to find our way in the dark, Jack,” Ashley murmured.
    Jack must have been getting tired, or maybe even colder, because his brain stopped working normally: suddenly everything Troy and Ashley were saying seemed not only reasonable, but…the only right thing to do. “Okay,” he sighed. “We’ll stay here.”
    Troy just grunted, “Up to you.”
    â€œSo the first thing we need,” Jack decided, “is a fire. Not just to stay warm. Everyone will be out looking for us—if they spot a fire, they’ll get here quicker. You go pick up some firewood, Ashley,” he ordered. “Get plenty, and make sure it’s dry. Go on—what are you waiting for? Go do it right now while I find a good place to build the fire.”
    â€œDid you bring matches?” Ashley asked.
    â€œWhat do you think?”
    â€œOf course. ’Cause you’re so perfect, aren’t you, Jack?”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?” Jack demanded.
    â€œNothing. Just that you’re the bossiest brother in the whole state of Wyoming, that’s all. Don’t you ever get tired of telling people what to do?”
    He choked off the next words he would have added if Troy hadn’t been there: that he took charge because he was better than anyone else at getting things done. Especially in the situation they were in right then. “I’m not bossy,” he told Ashley. “I’m…responsible.”
    â€œResponsible. That’s supposed to be good, huh?” Ashley picked up a long, thin pine branch and cracked it hard over her bent leg, breaking it in two. “So if it’s so great, why don’t you ever give anyone else a chance to be responsible?”
    â€œOkay!” he yelled. “I’ll give you a chance. What do you want to be responsible for?”
    Ashley appeared to be thinking it over.
    â€œWe need some dry tinder to start the fire,” she answered. “I’ll go find it.”
    â€œThat’s what I told you in the first