Grizzly Fury

No, Fargo wanted to shout, go for the body. But as he opened his mouth the rifle went off.

Brain Eater let go of Moose and a forepaw flashed. The ruptured and crumpled body that landed ten feet from the fire bore little resemblance to the boy who had enraged it.

Cecelia and Bethany screamed.

Fargo heaved erect. He drew his Colt but didn’t have a shot.

Bird Rattler was in his way. The tomahawk had bit deep again and again with no more effect than a pinprick. But now the bear took notice, and the sweep of a paw pinwheeled the Blackfoot to the earth. Brain Eater turned to finish him off but suddenly Moose was on his good leg and pointing a pistol.

“Die, damn you!”

The pistol spewed lead and smoke and the slug took the bear in the neck.

Brain Eater reared. As big as Moose was, the bear towered over him. Moose drew his long knife and plunged the blade into her body, hollering, “You won’t hurt them, you hear me! Over my dead body!” He drew out the knife and stabbed again.

By then Fargo had a clear shot at the grizzly’s throat. He fired twice and saw blood spurt.

Bird Rattler was back in the fray, hacking at the bear’s head and body.

Moose dodged a raking paw and stabbed with fierce vigor, burying his knife to the hilt.

Fargo saw Cecelia attempting to scramble back and he ran to her and looped his hands under her arms. “I’ve got you,” he said, and dragged her away, Bethany and Thomas clinging tight.

“Moose!” Cecelia screamed.

Fargo looked up.

Brain Eater had a huge paw on either side of Moose’s head.

Moose was struggling mightily but the grizzly was too strong.

“Like hell!” he raged. “Like hell, like hell, like hell!”

And with each “hell” he drove his knife into her.

Brain Eater opened her maw. Fargo thought she was going to bite Moose on the head but she went for his neck. Moose stabbed and punched and tried to twist from her grip and then her fangs were at his jugular. Scarlet gushed, and Moose uttered a gurgling cry and went limp.

“Nooooooo!” Cecelia wailed.

Fargo let go of her. He had spotted his Sharps. He ran to it and scooped the rifle up.

Moose was down, his body convulsing. Brain Eater swatted at his head.

From behind the bear, Bird Rattler rushed. He had a lance. He drove it into her for fully half its length and wrenched it out so he could drive it into her again. But with a hideous roar Brain Eater wheeled. Her paw caught the warrior across the face, her claws shearing through Bird Rattler’s eyes and nose and lips.

Fargo fired. He aimed at the heart. Only a heart shot would drop her quick. But he must have missed because she spun and saw him and charged. Skipping backward, he dropped the Sharps and resorted once again to his Colt. He fired, nearly tripped, and fired once more. She was almost on top of him. He threw himself to one side just as a paw slammed into his leg. Upended, he described a high arc that ended with the thud of his body on the ground. A black pit sucked at him and he fought to stay conscious.

Bethany was screaming.

Thomas bawled, “Ma! Ma! Ma!”

A gun cracked.

Fargo pushed but had no strength. The black pit consumed him, and there was only silence.

Something was crawling on his face.

Fargo opened his eyes and wished he hadn’t. Sunlight seared them like burning flame. They watered and his vision blurred and he shut them. The prickle of tiny legs left his cheek and a fly buzzed his ear. He was aware of the smell of the earth under his cheek, and another smell. His head hurt.

His chest and leg hurt worse. He couldn’t get his mind to work as it should, and in his befuddled state he was unsure where he was or what had happened.

A whimper reminded him.

Fargo tensed to rise, and caught himself. The bear might be nearby. He cracked his lids and saw what was left of Bird Rattler a few yards away. The warrior’s head had been split like a melon and his brain was gone.

The whimper was repeated.

Fargo slowly turned his head. Cecelia was on her back, her arm bent at an unnatural angle, her fingers hooked as if she were scratching at the air. Blood framed her in a pool.

Fargo gambled. He raised his head. Brain Eater was nowhere to be seen. Bodies were, though. Bird Rattler. Lazy Husband—his brain had been eaten, too. Moose. Abner, with half a head. A smaller pile of mangled flesh and shattered bones must be Thomas.

A legion of flies swarmed them.

Fargo pushed to his knees. He had been out for hours. The sun was straight overhead. The front of his shirt was torn and he had claw marks on his chest. His left leg had deeper cuts and was slightly numb. When he stood the leg nearly gave out. He shuffled over to Cecelia and nearly stepped on her intestines.

The grizzly had ripped her open from sternum to hip. That she had lasted as long as she had was a tribute to her will.

Fargo eased down, gently clasped her hand, and said her name.

Cecelia’s eyes opened. They were mirrors to horror beyond reckoning. She tried twice to say something and managed, “Skye?”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? It wasn’t your fault.” Cecelia swallowed and winced.