Beneath a Winter Moon (5 page)

Delmar remained undaunted and tried once more to convince Steven, explaining that one of them might be willing to give up a spot on the hunt and go only as an observer. He said they would be fine without refit cabins and that they preferred camping in the open, anyway. Steven had laughed and asked Delmar if Thomas and Daniel knew that he was asking that they bunk in the snow. Delmar promised that they would be more than willing to pitch tents and hang out by the fires.

“It’ll cost you,” Steven had said, “That is,
if
the board approves and
if
one of your guys is willing to leave his weapons behind.” He paused and then said, “I mean it, Delmar—only two of you can carry rifles. I’m not losing my license for five years over something like this. So, you discuss it with your guys, and you let me know.”

Delmar had whooped, but Steven reminded him that the board could just as easily disapprove his requests…so this was not a done-deal. Delmar assured him that he understood. The two men talked for about half an hour longer and Delmar took in more details.

It would be a seven-day expedition in total, not the normal ten or more. Also, there were only seven horses on site, which meant that there would only be one for carrying gear and one in case of emergency. Their party would arrive midday on the first day, settling in for an overnight stay at the lakeside cabin, and then leave for the hunt the next morning. Steven said that he had yet to fully explore the northern part of the land, but had seen good indications that there were bear near the lake. He was confident that the potential for a big grizzly would only improve as they moved north. The land was very rocky and there was a lot of snow on the ground and the further north they went, the denser the forest. So, Steven had warned they might find themselves doing a good bit of walking. All of this was fine with Delmar.

Steven asked that each man have his own
lensatic
compass, good for extreme cold weather. He would supply them with two-way radios, waterproof matches, a good first aid kit, and emergency strobe lights for all. Steven would have the men display their gear the night before a long hunt so that he could personally ensure that each man had everything needed.

The two finished the conversation with a discussion about the man who still lived in a cabin in the northern part of the land. Steven said he met him on a couple of occasions over the years and that he was a friendly sort, but that he was very much the typical hermit. The man, who Steven confirmed was named Jeremiah and that he lived in the mountains year-round, coming in occasionally for supplies or to deliver pelts to the one supplier left in the territory. Apparently, this Jeremiah had special dispensation for the fur trade. The only other things that Steven had heard about Jeremiah were that he had once been a lawyer and was said to be extremely wealthy. Steven said that somewhat explained how Jeremiah had kept both the Canadian government and the Yukon Indian tribes off his back for all these years as they did their very best to gain title to the land. Delmar agreed that it was a wonder the former landowner had managed to retain contract to remain on the property. Delmar and Steven agreed that money had probably changed hands under some well-polished executive tables.

Delmar had burst into Daniel and Thomas’s adjoining rooms, frantic with details and excitement. He wanted to keep it a surprise that the Svensons would be their new guides for the trip…assuming all the while that things would come together and the hunt would indeed happen. Thomas and Daniel had scarcely acknowledged Delmar’s quick summation when the focus of the conversation suddenly changed. Delmar calmed down as he explained that there would be one less hunting guide than was required. He presented the news gently, unsure what their reactions would be. One of them must volunteer to leave his rifle and attend the hunt as an observer. This new factoid irritated Daniel and Thomas but they realized what this hunt meant to Delmar. Both men volunteered. After some discussion, they accepted Daniel’s argument that he would be happy carrying only his camera and so they acknowledged he would drop out of the hunt. Daniel had insisted, declaring that he was there for the friendship a hell of a lot more than the hunt and besides, he had a great new 35mm camera that he wanted to try out. With that bit of nastiness out of the way, Delmar went on to explain that he would take care of the details and the extra expense for having to drop their reservations with the other outfitters. None of this would happen, however, until Delmar was certain that this new hunt would actually take place.

The call came the next morning. Their new guides had apparently been successful at obtaining special authorization as guides in the new territory. The three friends had immediately begun to pack for the hunt and when the evening came they decided to celebrate at Enoch’s where they now drank mugs of dark ale and listened to Delmar describe what a great time they would have.

A tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man in his early forties approached their table. His face was tight, as if the skin was pulled a little too firmly from ear to ear. He had a pointed jaw and dark skin. His mother was from a local Indian tribe and his father was a deep-sea fisherman originally from
Iceland
. Steven
Svenson
(the friends decided some years back that his real name was Sven, but decided not to prod him about it) was an odd-looking man, handsome in his own right and easy to get along with. He was hard working, dependable, and was as honest as anyone the trio had known.

“Well, well…if it isn’t team Grizzly.” Steven put a big hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “Going to bag a bear this time, eh? Definitely moving up.”

Thomas looked up and grinned. “That would be Delmar,” he said. “So, you’ve heard?”

Steven pulled a chair from a nearby table and swung it around to sit between Thomas and Daniel. He winked at Delmar, who was beaming from ear to ear. “Oh yes. I definitely heard.” He leaned back in the chair, balancing it on its rear legs. “In fact, I am an accomplice.”

“No way,” Daniel exclaimed.

Steven laughed, “Delmar was just lucky. It was me who nabbed the new lease. I dropped a group of hunters from
Australia
so that I could clear out my calendar for this…so that I could get ready to hunt the new lands.” He smiled, “Then, Delmar called.”

“I almost didn’t,” Delmar interjected. “I was sure there was no way to nab you on such short notice—especially in the middle of the fall season—and with your new lease.”

“Awesome,” Thomas said. “So, is Jenny going to be with us?”

“Absolutely. She’s over at a friend’s right now, at a baby shower or some such thing…but she will be with us in the morning.”

“Great.” Daniel said, grinning. “You know that she is the only reason we hunt with you.”

“Never doubted it,” Steven replied.

Delmar stopped a waitress as she walked by, “Four clean glasses and a pitcher, please?”

The young girl nodded.

“Not for me, guys. I’ve got to get over to the hanger and talk to the boys at the airfield. I don’t have this trip logged or routed yet. Got to get that done.”

Delmar frowned, but nodded. “We’ll have a couple more rounds and then pack it in. See you at the airfield?”

“1100 hours, sharp, Delmar. If you are late, I’ll know it was your fault.”

“We’ll be there,” Delmar insisted.

They said their goodbyes and Steven headed for the door.

“This week is going to be great,” Delmar grinned.

Thomas and Daniel could not help but grin back at their friend, genuinely happy for the big man, especially now that they knew Steve and Jenny would be their guides.

Thomas sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel room, unzipped the door to the large, nylon pop-up kennel and waited. When there was no movement, he leaned over and said, “C’mon boy…you can’t stay mad at me for the whole trip. You know you have to stay in the kennel when I am not in the room.” He reached in and scratched the Siberian Husky behind his furry ears. “Jack…c’mon, it’s not my fault. Remember what happened at that hotel on the
Buffalo
River
?” He laughed, “I think we learned our lesson that time…well…at least
I
did.” He stood up, patted both knees, “Jack! Come!”

A black nose with a pink t-shaped striation stuck out of the kennel. “
Jaaaack
?” Thomas chided. “Come on. I know that you have to go, so let’s go outside. C’mon boy.” He patted his knees again.

A thickly furred black and white face poked all the way through the kennel, displaying the cactus-shaped white formation on Husky’s forehead. The dog’s name was officially “Possum’s Cactus Jack” which paid tribute to his dam’s name as well as the cactus-shaped formation on his head. Jack lowered his head and slowly stepped out of the kennel. Thomas waited for Jack to come out, and then kneeled down to hug the dog tightly. Jack sat down, enabling Thomas, his ‘person,’ to scoot him closer for a tighter hug. Jack buried his head in Thomas’s wool sweater.

“Good boy,” Thomas said, soothing the Husky. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings…but it’s time for some fun now, for sure!” He picked up Jack’s harness from the floor beside him and slipped it over the dog’s thick, furry shoulders. “Right paw,” he said. Jack lifted his right paw so that Thomas could slip the harness over, and then did the same with the left. Thomas stood up and patted Jack’s powerful shoulders.

“Time to go for a walk outside, and then we will get to bed and first thing tomorrow we will be off on a week’s worth of fine adventure.” Thomas gave the command for Jack to heel, and the dog obediently stood at Thomas’s left knee, then they headed into the hallway and for the hotel exit.

Thomas had purchased the puppy from a family in
Arkansas
. Jack had been just a small ball of fur with oddly enlarged ears, then. Now, four years and seventy-six pounds later, the dog was the epitome of the male of the breed. He was built for work. Although not lightening fast, Jack could run for days without stopping. He was a dog bred for strength, stamina and resistance to the cold. As with all Siberian Huskies, he had the heart of a wanderer and could not wait to explore new places.

Thomas was one of the few Husky owners who had the patience and time to train the instinctive wanderer to stay near him without a leash. It took nearly two years of continuous training, not to mention many nights that left Thomas filled with worry and dread while he waited for a call from someone saying they had found Jack napping under their carport or chasing their farm animals. Jack eventually began to comply with Thomas’s varying ‘stay’ commands, and through the sheer devotion to his “person,” Jack kept his need to break free in-check. After taking Jack out for his nature call, Thomas climbed into bed and called Jack up beside him. He patted the Husky. “One more night in the hotel, one night in a cabin…and then it’s all wilderness and snow, boy.”

The next morning Thomas gathered his gear from his room and waited in the lobby for Delmar and Daniel. Thomas’s mind wandered as he sat on a soft leather couch in the lobby. He had some reservations about hunting for bear but those concerns were put to rest by having the Svensons as their guides. He had complete faith in Steven and Jenny. He also wondered how Jack would fare in the hunt, and whether or not he would have to keep the dog harnessed during the entire hunt. That would make things much more difficult. Daniel would help, Thomas knew, but he doubted Delmar would go out of his way to assist with Jack. Delmar tried to act as though Jack was an unnecessary hindrance on the hunt, but Thomas knew that deep-down the big man loved the dog. If Daniel helped with Jack it would make Thomas feel better about stalking a Grizzly. He hadn’t been prepared for that, and he worried about the dog…but he knew that as long as Jack was harnessed up, the Husky would be fine.

Jack sat directly in front of Thomas, staring up at him, his sad blue eyes fixed. Thomas smiled at the dog and let out a sigh. “Okay boy, maybe they won’t mind.” He patted the empty cushion beside him. “Up!”

Jack jumped up onto the couch and whirled around a few times, then settled next to Thomas. A raised eyebrow from the clerk behind the service desk was not enough to convince Thomas to tell Jack to get down.