Montana Summer Ch. 12

"I'm so scared." Becky was shaking.

Ryan talked calmly while still looking in the bear's direction. "He's just trying to get a sniff of what we are. The breeze in blowing in wrong direction for him."

The bear dropped down to stand on all four legs, still facing Ryan. It began to swing its great head from side to side and paw at the ground. Ryan kept talking in a soft, monotone voice, reminding the bear that he wasn't here to disturb the creature.

"I'm going to slow down." Ryan kept talking in the same tone of voice. "Once you two are around the corner, I'm going to stop and try to keep his attention just on me. Circle around to where the horses are and bring the 30-30 back."

Jessi and Becky kept backing up as the trail veered suddenly back towards the creek. Once that she was sure that they were out of sight of the bear, she grabbed Becky's arm and ran down towards the creek.

"What about Ryan?" The worry was apparent in Becky's voice.

Jessi looked at Becky. "We have to get to the horses and get the rifle and hope that Ryan can keep the bear from charging him." Jessi's face wore an anxious look. "We have to hurry, Becky."

Becky nodded and followed Jessi down to the creek. The girls made their way along the bank of the creek. The going was tough along the rocky bank. Sharp branches from the bushes lining the bank poked at the girls and slowed their progress.

Ryan sensed that the bear's behavior was beginning to become more aggressive. It was late fall and the bear was trying to build his fat stores for the winter. Ryan thought that the bear probably saw him as a rival trespassing on what the bear saw as his territory. He couldn't hear Jessi or Becky anymore and was relieved that they had managed to get away. The bear didn't show any signs of realizing that the two girls were gone. He seemed to have devoted his entire attention on Ryan.

The grizzly sent large clods of dirt flying as it pawed at the ground. Ryan gulped unconsciously as he looked at the size of the claws. He was still moving slowly backwards but the bear was slowly moving closer in the same direction. How long had it taken them to walk up from the horses to the springs? Ryan tried desperately to remember. How long would it take Jessi to get to the horses? How long would it take her to get up her with the rifle?

Ryan could feel his heart pounding in his chest. The adrenalin flowing through his body made every nerve ending tingle. So far the bear hadn't charged and was just pawing at the ground and swinging his washtub sized head from side to side. Every few seconds, the bear would let out a deep woofing sound.

Jessi navigated as fast as she could around the rocks, trying to avoid the bushes. The rapids boiled angrily to her left. As soon as they were past the rapids, she would cut back towards the trail, to where the horses were tied up. Her jeans were soaked up to her knees and her boots were full of water. There was no time to stop and empty them out. Each second was critical. She had lived in this country all of her life. She knew attacks by a bear were rare, but she also knew that survivors from an attack were even rarer.

Becky was right behind Jessi. Her jeans were torn and her knee was bleeding where she had fallen against a rock and sustained a small gash. Slowing down wasn't an option, she had told herself. She gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the ache in her knee.

"Why don't we both just turn around and go our separate ways?" Ryan asked. Twice in the past couple of minutes, the great bear had raised his bulk up on to his hind legs and sniffed the air. Deep down, Ryan knew the grizzly wasn't just going to turn around and leave. The only hope he could see was to try to delay the bear until Jessi returned with the rifle.

Bears have poor eyesight and the breeze was still blowing towards Ryan. He couldn't get a good scent on what was ahead of him on the trail. He was ten years old, and just reaching his full size. A male grizzly in his prime. This area was his. He had spent most of the summer ranging up and down the creek. He had spent most of the past few weeks eating as much as he could. It wouldn't be long before he would settle down in his den for the winter and the long sleep.

Ryan looked around as he backed up for anything that he could possibly use as a weapon. Bushes lined both sides of the trail and offered nothing that Ryan could think that would be of any use. He was approaching the bend in the trail. Ryan wondered what the bear would do once he lost sight of Ryan.

The creature on the trail was clearer to him now. He just wasn't sure what to make of it, but that didn't matter, because he was an intruder. He would sooner be gorging himself on the berries that he found. Those could wait. This intruder had to be dealt with first.

Ryan's heart sank when he saw the bear fold his ears back on his head. He still tried to avoid direct eye contact with the bear, as that would be a sign of aggression on his part. He was certain the bear was going to charge. He only hoped that he survived the collision of nine hundred pounds of bear moving at close to thirty miles an hour. He knew that there was little chance of surviving the teeth or the claws if the bear was determined to maul him.

Jessi and Becky broke through bush and into the clearing where the horses were tied. She looked at Becky. "You head back to the cabin, ride as hard as you can. Get Dad, Charlie and Walt."

Becky nodded and mounted the horse she had ridden up here. She may have grown up in town but she had spent enough time with Jessi on the ranch riding horses to be a competent rider. She crouched low on the horse and smacked it on the rump and took off at a gallop.

Jessi had grabbed the rifle from the scabbard attached to Ryan's saddle and headed off towards to where Ryan was as fast as her horse could run.

Ryan knew it was time for him to try to dissuade the bear from charging. He removed his hat and raised it in his arms in an effort to make himself appear to be larger than he was. Time seemed to crawl. How long had it been since Jessi and Becky made their escape? It seemed like it had been an eternity to Ryan.

When the bear stood up again, it seemed different this time. There was more aggression in his movements. The huffing and woofing had changed to a deep growl, the ears were still back and the hair on the back of the bear's neck was standing up. Suddenly, without any further warning the bear dropped to the ground and lunged towards Ryan.

Tears were streaming down Jessi's face as she rode. Jessi had known that she had to be strong in front of Becky but now that she was gone and headed back to the cabin Jessi felt the dam burst. She held the rifle in one hand and the reins in the other as she urged her horse on. The skies had darkened as the storm moved ever closer.

The ride to the hot springs had taken them just over an hour, but it only took Becky half that to ride back to the cabin. As she approached the cabin, she began to yell for Bill and Charlie.

The three men had been relaxing on the front porch of the cabin when Becky rode in at a full gallop and yelling. They jumped out of their chairs and ran to meet her as she reined her horse in.

"Bear." Becky gasped. "Ryan."

Years of working around horses paid off at that moment. Bill, Walt, and Charlie raced to the corral and had their horses saddled and had set off in no time. The three men wore looks of grim determination as they galloped off, each fearing the worst and praying for the best.

Ryan had closed his eyes and was dropping to the ground as the bear seemed to cover the thirty feet in an instant. He thanked God at that moment for allowing him to lead a good life as tried to fold his body into the fetal position.

A sudden explosion startled the bear as it charged towards the creature. It caused him to veer slightly. A second explosion further rattled the grizzly. He scarcely felt the creature as his massive shoulder made contact.

All of the wind got knocked out of Ryan as the bear's shoulder caught him right in the chest. Ryan thought the thunder was getting real close as he heard the report of the 30-30. The bear sent Ryan sprawling into the bushes. He just lay there, unable to move.

Jessi had just crested the hill when she saw the bear begin his charge. "No!" She screamed as loud as she could as she squeezed the trigger and fired the rifle into the air. She brought the rifle down and jacked another round into the chamber and fired again and again. Her heart sank as she saw the bear send Ryan flying into the bushes. The last she saw of the bear was when it rounded the corner at full speed and it continued running away from where Ryan was laying.

'Oh, God, he's dead!' That was Jessi's initial thought as she looked at Ryan sprawled in the bushes. She knelt down beside Ryan and reached for his hand. A sense of relief washed over her as she saw him smile weakly.

Ryan struggled to get his breath back. He pointed to his chest and tried to mouth some words to make Jessi understand. Slowly, as he got his breath back he gasped, "Got the wind knocked out of me." He sat up and hugged Jessi with all of his might. "You didn't get here a moment too soon. I thought for sure I was done for this time."

The tears of worry had been replaced with tears of happiness. "When I saw the bear hit you, I thought for sure you were dead. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Ryan slowly stood up. "No, I don't think so. I might be a little sore for the next few days. That felt like I got hit by a truck." Ryan looked around for a moment. "Hey, where's Becky?"

"I sent her to get Dad, Charlie and Walt," Jessi replied.

Ryan nodded and looked around. "I wonder where my hat got to?"

Jessi and Ryan spent about ten minutes combing through the brush and failed to find Ryan's hat. What they both didn't realize was that, when the bear passed Ryan, his powerful jaws clamped down on Ryan's hat and tore it from his hand.

When the search for the hat had been abandoned, they walked down the trail towards where Bernie was still tied up. Jessi and Ryan walked arm in arm as Jessi led her horse.

---

Ryan sat by the fire. He had finished his supper and was relaxing. The episode with the bear had dominated the mealtime conversation. He looked up at the stars and appreciated seeing them twinkling down. The sky was clear. The afternoon storm had brought little in the way of rain, just a lot of lightning and thunder.

Ryan and Jessi had walked down to where Bernie had been tied up and hadn't been on the trail long before they spotted Bill, Charlie, and Walter galloping at full speed towards them.

Bill had been the most relieved to see Ryan safe and well. He had commented, "I don't think we can let you out on your own anymore. It seems that each time we let you out lately, there is some sort of calamity." Bill was smiling as talked to Ryan. "You've had more excitement the past few months than I've had in my entire life."

After riding hard to the cabin, Becky had nearly collapsed in a torrent of tears. Suzanne had put her arms around her and held her tight and had told Becky that all was going to be okay. Suzanne had hoped that her words sounded convincing, because deep inside she was as worried as Becky about Ryan's safety.

Becky's parents had arrived at the cabin just before Bill, Walt, and Charlie had returned with Ryan and Jessi. She had been about to tell her parents of their somewhat harrowing escape from the bear, when she spotted the returning riders. Becky had flown out of the cabin. She couldn't believe that all that happened to Ryan was that he got the wind knocked out of him and he lost his hat.

Suzanne, Esther, and Maggie followed close behind Becky as she ran out to check on Ryan. Before long all of the women were crying. Bill had felt his own eyes growing misty when he pointed at the women and then commented to Charlie. "Who says that there is a water shortage in the west. Looks like we may have a flash flood here."

Suzanne had turned around, wiped her eyes, and wagged her finger at her husband. "Now, you stop that, Bill McFayden"

'Damn, it's good to be alive', was the thought that kept running through Ryan's mind as he stared at the fire. This afternoon he had been sure that he wouldn't live to see another sunrise, and now, here he was, safe with his family and friends. This afternoon had taught Ryan that life was fleeting and precious. He promised himself at the moment where he realized that he was still alive and out of danger, to try to appreciate every day and every moment. Life was a precious gift and somehow he felt like his life had been handed back to him for a second time.

"It's been a while since we have seen a grizzly in these parts," Bill remarked as he sat back down in his chair.

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think it's been close to twenty years since I actually seen one. I've seen tracks the past couple of years up around Old Man Creek though. I thought the bears were just passing through."

"What happened to them?" Ryan asked.

"They were pretty much hunted out in the fifties and sixties. Each time a cow came up missing, it was blamed on bears," Bill replied. "Then the ranchers would ride up and kill any bears that they came across."

"They did kill a few head of cattle, mainly calves or yearlings." Charlie looked at Bill. "A lot of times it was just fear and ignorance that drove some of the more aggressive ranchers to hunt the bears down. I think a lot of bears died for cattle that had died from natural causes. The ranchers would go out and find a half eaten carcass and immediately blame a bear, when in reality the cow had died and then coyotes fed on the carcass."

Bill nodded in agreement. "Hell yes. You get a carcass laying out there for a few days and it will attract bears."

"So, you think it's a good thing that there are grizzly in the mountains now?" Ryan asked Charlie.

"Yes, I do," Charlie responded. "They have been around here in these mountains longer than man has been here. This is their land, too."

Ryan looked at his uncle. "How about you? Do you think it's a good thing that the grizzly bear is coming back?"

Bill thought for a moment. "Overall, yes, I do think it's a good thing and much for the same reasons that Charlie gave. We will just have to keep a close eye on the herds that we run up in the high country."

Charlie agreed with what Bill had said. "If a bear starts going after cattle and becoming a nuisance, it can be tracked down, shot with a tranquilizer dart, and then removed to be relocated in a remote location."

As the evening progressed, the temperature continued to drop. All of the clouds had long since dissipated leaving the sky clear. The night sky was full of stars. Ryan stared and wondered how long some of the light had traveled. He found it hard to fathom that some of the light from the distant stars was as old as the mountains that he had grown to love.

"That's a fine looking camper." Bill pointed to Rob Evans' new truck and camper combination.

Rob Evans beamed with pride. "It's what I have always wanted. Now with the kids grown up, Janice and I can do a little more traveling and a lot more fishing."

"What do you think, Suzanne? Do you think something like that would be right for us?" Bill asked.

Suzanne laughed heartily. "Well, it would be if we could pull you away from the ranch for more than a day or two at a time."

"Let me show you my new toy." Rob grinned proudly. All of the men got up and headed over to Rob's new camper to check it out, and this left just the women sitting around the fire.

Janice sat quietly in her chair. She had kept looking at her daughter, wondering if she was pregnant. She hadn't said anything to her husband. She didn't want to spoil his mood. Not today. She would wait until she had a talk with Becky before saying anything. She had tried to come up with reasonable explanations for the home pregnancy test kit being in Becky's trash can in her room, but none of the theories made any sense.

"What do you plan to major in?" Maggie asked Jessi.

"I'm undecided," replied Jessi. "I think I'm just going to take core classes for my freshman year. There seems to be so much to choose from, and so much that I am interested in. I just hope I can make up my mind."

Maggie chuckled as she remembered her freshman year. "Well, I didn't declare my major until my sophomore year. I just couldn't decide either." She turned her attention to Becky, "What about you? Have you decided what your major will be?"

Becky nodded. "I think so. I'm taking the same classes as Jessi, but I think I want to study business administration."

"I know this is rather early to ask you this, but do you see yourself coming back here to live after college?"

"Yes, definitely." There was no doubt in Jessi's mind, especially now that she was almost certain that there was a future for her and Ryan.

Becky agreed with Jessi. "I would like to come back here after college. Whether there will be anything for me to do here after college, that's my main concern."

Janice couldn't hold back anymore. Listening to the girls talk about their future plans pushed her to the point to where she had to ask. She looked directly at Becky and asked, "Rebecca, are you pregnant?"

Hearing her actual given name shocked Becky. It only meant one thing, and that was that her mother was serious. Becky could feel the world closing in around her. She didn't know what to say.

Suzanne's mouth dropped. She had been so wrapped up in Jessi and Ryan that she had never given any thought to Becky. Jessi almost choked on her drink. Her initial thought was that the shit was about to hit the fan.

Janice reached into her pocket and retrieved the folded box from the home pregnancy test kit. She held it out in front of her. "I found this in your room when I was putting your laundry away. Are you pregnant?"

Ryan was walking back to the campfire and heard Janice's question to Becky. He remembered what Jessi had told him and his heart went out to Becky.

Becky could feel the tears building and all at once the dam burst and tears flowed from her eyes. She didn't know what to say. She knew her mother would be relentless until she found out what she wanted to know.

A sick feeling flowed through Janice. Becky's reaction said it all — she was pregnant! She was only eighteen! She was too young! Janice tried to remind herself that she wasn't much older than Becky when she had become pregnant with Stan.

Becky nodded and between sobs she finally answered her mother. "Y-y-yes, I th-think I am."

Ryan stood still. He didn't want to intrude on what was going on. He began to turn and head back to Rob's camper. He froze in his tracks when he heard Janice's next question.

"Who is the father?"

Becky knew at that moment what a trapped animal felt like. She had no idea what to say. There was no way that she could voice the name that was in her brain. It wasn't possible for her to tell her mother that she thought that it was her own brother had impregnated her. She looked up and saw Ryan standing at the edge of the light from the campfire. "Ryan," Becky blurted out his name in panic. It was the only name she could come up with other than her brother's name.

Suzanne gasped audibly. Jessi dropped her cup to the ground and stared at her best friend. Ryan stood frozen, unable to move or speak.

"It's Ryan," Becky repeated.

Change is constant. People change, seasons change. Even in the mountains things change. Tiny rocks fall causing larger rocks to become unstable. Plates deep beneath the earth move causing mountains to shift. How we deal with change is what is important.

I would like to thank Selena for editing this chapter.