THE CAT EARLY SNOW HAD FROZEN NOW, TO A CRISP COVER ON THE LAND. THE BOYS BREATH TRAILED BEHIND HIM IN WHITE CLOUDS OF STEAM. HIS HANDS WERE COLD, EVEN IN HIS NEW GLOVES. THE AIR ABOUT HIM SEEMED ALMOST, TO HAVE A SOUND ALL ITS OWN, LIKE THE TINKLE OF TINY BELLS, SOME WHERE IN THE DISTANCE. THE GREAT ROUNDED GRANITE BOULDERS ALL AROUND HIM LOOKED AS THOUGH THEY WERE BALD HEADED OLD MEN, WEARING WIGS OF WHITE. IT WAS GROWING LATE AND, THE RIFLE HE CARRIED WAS GETTING HEAVY, THE METAL OF ITS FRAME WAS COLD, EVEN THROUGH HIS GLOVES, AND HE GREW HUNGRIER BY THE MOMENT HAVING NOT THOUGHT TO BRING FOOD FOR THE DAY. THEN, UP HILL, MOVEMENT, A STARTLED YOUNG BOB CAT RUNNING AS FAST AS HIS LEGS WOULD CARRY HIM. * THE CAT STOPPED AND LOOKED BACK TOWARDS THE BOY, THEN UP INTO AN ANCIENT OLD JUNIPER WITH LIMBS THAT, HEAVY WITH AGE NEARLY TOUCHED THE GROUND. THE CAT HAD FOUND, HERE AMONG THOSE SHELTERING LIMBS, WHAT TO HIM WAS SAFETY FROM WHAT EVER THE CREATURE IN THE DISTANCE WAS. HE HAD MERELY TO WAIT AND THE CREATURE WILL GO AWAY AND, HE COULD RESUME HIS SEARCH FOR FOOD AND THEN, HOME TO HIS WARM DEN TO SLEEP THE NIGHT AWAY, SAFE FROM THE STORM. * THE BOY NO LONGER FELT COLD, HIS HEART BEAT NOW HIGH IN HIS THROAT, AS HE TURNED TOWARDS THE TREE THE CAT HAD SOUGHT SHELTER IN. A DRIVE, HE COULD NOT DEFINE, PULLED HIM UP THE HILL TOWARDS THE ANIMAL WAITING THERE. HE HAD ONLY A VAGUE IDEA OF WHY HE SHOULD HUNT THIS ANIMAL PERHAPS IT WAS A RIGHT OF PASSAGE THAT FIT WELL IN THE PLACE AND TIME OF THE BOYS LIFE BUT AT THIS TIME HE COULD NEITHER DEFINE OR CARE WHY, HE WAS ONLY TO FIND THE CAT. * THE CAT COULD SEE THE CREATURE WAS COMING TOWARDS HIM BUT WAS SURE HE COULD NOT SEE HIM, HIGH IN HIS SHELTERING TREE. IT WAS STRANGE TO THE CAT WHY THE CREATURE CARRIED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LONG STICK IN ONE HAND PERHAPS HE NEEDED IT TO HELP HIM WALK IN THE NOW DEEPENING SNOW. HE KNEW THE CREATURE WOULD NOT SEE HIM, AND PASS BY HIS SANCTUARY. * THE BOY SOON STOOD BENEATH THE ANCIENT JUNIPER, LOOKING UP THROUGH ITS TANGLED LIMBS AND THERE, UPON HIS PERCH, THE CAT. AT THIS POINT THEIR EYES MET FOR A SINGLE MOMENT. THE BOY HELD HIS BREATH TO ASSURE HIS AIM WAS TRUE. * THE CAT WAS STARTLED TO SEE THE CREATURE STANDING BENEATH HIS TREE AND, WONDERED WHY HE POINTED THE STICK AT HIM, THE SOUND OF THUNDER THEN PAIN AND NO MORE. HE NO LONGER WOULD HUNT AND NEITHER WOULD HE RETURN TO HIS WARM DEN TO SLEEP, FOR HE WOULD SLEEP FOREVER HERE, WITH THE SOUND OF THE WINDS MUSIC BLOWING THROUGH HIS TREES AND THE WAILING CALL OF THE WILD DOGS. * THE BOY RETURNED TO PLACE OF THE CAT, MANY YEARS LATER, AS AN OLD MAN. HIS THOUGHTS WERE FULL OF SADNESS FOR THE LOSS OF THE WILD PLACES AND, THE WILD CHILDREN OF THE HILLS, THAT ONCE ROAMED HERE. THERE WAS ALSO A FEELING OF GUILT FOR THE PART HE HAD PLAYED IN THE LOSS OF THAT WILD LAND. THE OLD MANS FRIENDS HAD TOLD HIM, MANY TIMES, TO FORGIVE HIMSELF AND TO KNOW; THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW. THAT WAS OF COURSE THE TRUTH; HE COULD NOT TURN BACK THE MOVEMENT OF TIME, AND CORRECT THE MISTAKES OF HIS PASSED DEEDS, HE COULD ONLY ASK FORGIVENESS OF THOSE WHICH HE HAD HARMED AND, PERHAPS LISTEN FOR THE MUSIC OF THE WIND, AND THE CRY OF THE WILD DOG ONE LAST TIME… Ó J M Bailey
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 00:11:24 +0000
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