Page 84 of Blacktail

Chester laughed bitterly. “Are you blind? I eat nothing. But the good news is, there’s plenty to go around. Help yourself if you like.”

“No squirrel?”

“A few, but they are very quick.”

“Yes, that’s true. What of bunnies?”

“I saw some when I first came here, but lately I lack the strength to chase them.”

“Deer?”

“None that I’ve seen.”

“Elk?”

“What is that?”

Blacktail was silent for a time. “You know, there is one animal in these rocks large enough to hunt.”

“Oh?”

“Oh yes.”

“And what is that?”

“Come with me tomorrow and I’ll show you.”

iii

The next morning Chester rose just after dawn. Stretching himself, he scanned the jutting landscape of sandstone pillars dotted here and there with prickly pear, juniper, and ricegrass, all of it framed before a clear and cloudless sky. Hiking his leg to pee, he thought, Hell is…well…sort of pretty this morning.

He felt amazingly good, all things considered. The little morsel of food had done wonders to restore his strength. He could now rise and move all on his own, though he was still a tad shaky on his feet. He wandered down to the creek and drank a huge mouthful. That helped some, too.

When he came back, Blacktail was awake. He watched Chester for a moment, saw that he was moving well enough, and set off at a slow trot without saying a word. After a moment Chester followed as best he was able.

Blacktail scented the wind, and Chester followed in kind. He caught a whiff of prairie dog off to the north, and something larger to the west, but Blacktail surprised him by setting off to the east. Chester thought for a moment to say something. If he were the same dog that had been abandoned three seasons ago, he no doubt would have. But he had endured much since then. Not all of the lessons of his life had drifted by unnoticed.

This one lives in the same desert as you, but does not starve, Chester thought. Actually, he has food to give away. He held his silence.

In time they came to a little gravel plane, where Cars sometimes rested. This time he was unable to keep quiet.

“Lord Hunter?”

Blacktail swiveled his massive head around to look at Chester. He said nothing.

“If I may say, lord, you’ll not likely find good hunting here. It is a well-known place of men. Most of the desert creatures avoid it. They are afraid, you see.” This last was a small boast, as if to say that he, a worldly beast, had no such superstitions.

“They are right to be afraid,” Blacktail said, looking at Chester’s emaciated body and horribly scarred face. “Look at what the two-legs have done to you.”

Chester lay his ears back, ashamed. Blacktail walked a few steps more, then settled down in a small gully at the top of the ridge. Chester followed, walking with his tail low. He settled in next to Blacktail. He was on the verge of asking, “Why here?” when it came to him. Here, he realized, we can see and not be seen.

“What now?” Chester asked.

“Now we wait.”

They sat in silence all that morning and part of the afternoon. The sun was hot on him, but Chester saw that Blacktail made no movement and so held his own stillness. A little past midday, Blacktail’s ears perked up. Not long after, Chester heard it, too. Car, he thought. A big one.

It raced up the dirt path, trailing a cloud of dust. Oh, hell, Chester thought. Everything with eyes will see that and go to their hiding place. The hunting’s done for today.