Kelly

On this particular day I had chosen well. The view below me was more spectacular than even I imagined possible. The Taseko River snaked across the landscape through the aspen, and spruce trees that lined its banks. A late September day with partially blue skies enticed me on an expedition about twenty-five kilometers from Davidson's Bridge.

A week before I had purchased the Ford Ranger I now drove down the wildernesws track of a road. Four-wheel drive came in handy when out in the surrounding territories of my year round home at Chaunigan Lake. This particular Saturday I had arranged to be alone leaving my four dogs Jenny, Maggie, Nootka and Two Socks with Mike and Shirely Mitchell while I ventured out to photograph a couple of the huge bucks that lived in this particular area of the Chilcotin.

I bumped over several holes, as I ground the gears back down to second just in time, as another water hole appeared. What lay under the murky water was anyone's guess.

I held on to the steering wheel, as the truck rocked violently to the left. Jarred, I slapped myself across the face with my right hand to wake myself up. Buddy, I said to myself get a grip on yourself, and watch the damn road. Quit thinking about the bucks and focus on getting there in one piece. Several places along the road had long drawn out mud holes that even in four-wheel drive my truck slipped along.

A few narrow spots along the roadway gave me breathtaking views of the Taseko River below. My heart thumped ever louder, as the adrenaline flowed through my veins. I was pumped to say the least when at long last I rounded a bend in the road, and began to see outbuildings through the trees. This must be the lodge I had heard about. I halted the truck then jumped out, and went to remove the chain that held the pole gate closed. Just ahead and a little to the right I saw a woman leading a saddled horse, and at her heels ran a grey coloured dog.

Back in the truck I puttered up to the parking area beside another pick-up, and using my handy key; an old screwdriver turned the engine to the off position. A quick glimpse told me that I needed to turn the ignition a tad more to make sure the lights were off, as well.

There before me stood the woman, as she watched me disembark from my vehicle. I smiled and stuck out my hand, as I introduced myself, " Hi, I am Nick from Chaunigan Lake Lodge." Your neighbor from over there, as I pointed across the mountains in the direction of my home.

Right off the bat even before she told me her name I was checking her out. Kelly stuck out her hand and we shook, as she introduced herself with this beautiful smile on her face. All that I could think of was boy I hoped her husband knew what a jewel he had. Needless, to say I was smitten from the first then, as I gazed to where the three saddled horses stood I saw there were two teenage girls who she introduced, as her daughters. Both Kelly and I chitchatted for more than a bit and when I glanced over at the girls I could see they were a little annoyed at my untimely arrival, for all three were set to go horseback riding. I kept it short, and asked for directions before I headed on my way.

Later that afternoon, as I lay on a particular ridgeline overlooking a small valley below I spotted the first of four bucks emerge from the forest. The buck raised its massive array of antlers, and scented the breeze while another buck stood a few feet away. That buck took a tentative step forward then another, as the buck slowly came from the inky blackness of the bush into the suns warmth. I too marvelled in the bath of sunshine, as it warmed my back.

I slowly exchanged my Bushnell binoculars for my Nikon camera and waited patiently, as two more bucks came into the glen to feed on the dried grasses. Every once in a while a buck would raise its head sniffing the incoming breeze expecting danger at any second.

I was enthralled with the scene below when a flicker of movement caught the corner of my eye. A tawny bit of fur quivered, as a huge mountain lion inched closer through the tall grass. This was far more than I had ever witnessed before. I was downwind, and higher all geared up in camouflaged clothes, boots, and hat I even had my face streaked, so that if I remained motionless would be invisible to the naked eye.

Three of the four bucks raised their heads, and stared in the direction where the cougar now lay motionless then resumed to graze. The fourth raised its head just in time, as the mountain lion sprang. The massive cats back legs hurled the deadly beast through the short expanse between the hunter and its prey. The one buck who had its head up managed to escape the deadly claws, but one of the others fell under the impact of the huge cat. In a flash the cat pierced the jugular vein, and the buck lay limp.

The best part was I had captured the drama on film. In a second everything changed with the snort from a horse. The cat now lay across its kill with ears back hissing at the approaching rider. I scooped up my binoculars just in time to see Kelly's horse rear up, and send her flailing into the brush. Her horse bolted from the glen along with her two daughters and their mounts.

I stood up and before I knew what I was doing slipped over the embankment, and was running pell mell down the hillside.

Kelly lay motionless in the bushes between me and that huge mountain lion. I must have been insane, as I ran with my arms high above my head shrieking like a banshee, but lucky for both Kelly, and I it had worked. The cougar slunk off a short distance, but continued to watch us from the underbrush. Without a moment's thought I scooped up Kelly's limp body and double paced it up the hillside to where I had dropped my pack. Inside was a first aid kit, and a canteen of water both of which Kelly would need pronto.

Only one thing bothered me the fact that the cat was still around. Then the thought occurred to me, and I reached into my pocket, and brought out the bear banger I kept for just these kinds of emergencies. I ripped the protective cap off the charge, and screwed it onto the pen firing mechanism then pointed it skyward, and fired off the shot. The resounding echo sounded more like a shotgun, but did the trick, as the big cat took off running for the bush.

I then laid a rolled up sweater under Kelly's bleeding head when I noticed for the first time that she had been impaled with a stick just under her right breast. I leaned foward to hear if she was breathing, and thankfully I could hear shallow breaths emerge from her lips. Without any qualms of protocol I unbuttoned her shirt and examined the wound. I leaned her against my chest and undid her bra being, as gentle, as possible I removed the blood soaked clothing then began to bind the wound. Next, I unscrewed the canteen and pressed the mouth to her lips allowing a small trickle to seep into her mouth. She sputtered, and shook her head trying to clear her mind. She flailed her arms, as if being attacked by some unseeen adversary, and so I held her in my arms until she settled down. Another sip of water, and she began slowly feeling her body parts that hurt. That is when she noticed me, and the fact she was only partially clothed.

I tried to tell her I was only helping, but she crossed her bare breasts with her arms and stood scowling at me until I offered my sweater to cover her up. It took several minutes for her to calm down enough to ask what had happened, and where were her two daughters, and the horses.

It was just at that very moment when both her daughters burst through the brush into my encampment. The eldest leveled a rifle in my direction while the younger one yelled for me to back off while she helped her mother onto one of the horses, and before I could say a word all three rode away without a word. I stood there stunned with my mouth open, and wondered what the hell that was all about. Here, I had risked my own life to rescue a woman in distress only to be set upon at gun point, and made out to be the bad guy in the situation at hand.

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After thoughts:

I have always thought there must be a woman out here somewhere who had thoughts... those private thoughts no one ever heard. You know the ones I mean that you never shared with another human being. Yes, those thoughts.

Winter was quickly approaching, as the temperature dipped into the negative numbers, yet again. It was nearing the end of September and heavy frost had already blanketed the area. I had been busily hauling countless truck loads of logs to my splitting station. The word was that this winter was going to be an extremly cold, and snowy one.

Susanne, a friend from Germany had helped me here at the lodge for the past six weeks. Although we had a special relationship I shunned away from having sex with her. She would be returning to Germany shortly and it would be years before she returned. The last four years had been long without her by my side, and finally it dawned on me that time was racing by at an incredible rate. I hoped to meet a lady with whom I could share this lifestyle, and share in the pain, and joys that remain in my life.

Am, I disillusioned, as everyone out here thinks?

Some kinetic energy brought me here for a reason. Was it fate, or some strange coincidence? Questions with no answers, as of yet. I believe that this has always been my life's path only it took a hell of a ride to end up here. Strangely, I feel at home here at Chaunigan Lake, Nemaiah Valley, British Columbia a whole world away from where I grew up as a boy.

Mountains and lakes drew me... the last frontier. I had read western books, as a young man, and felt something tug me into the very stories I read. It was, as if I lived the adventures another had written. Some would call it a fantasy, but I think this was only the beginning. The seed had been planted those forty plus years ago. Dared, I into believing west was where I belonged, and somehow I would eventually end up in the wilderness, the last remaining frontier. Far from the civilized world, or at least, as far as I could get myself.

Funny, how the mind tricks you into believing anything is possible, and perhaps it is! Faith would be the best term here, I am guessing.

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Author's Note: Wow, what a tale 85% truth and just 15% fiction!!

Did you enjoy reading this story of adventure, suspense and drama showcased in the Chilcotin Territory, I call home? If you did please feel free to share my story with friends and family.

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