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COLD TERROR The Cartwright boys had finished dinner and were relaxing around the campfire on this cool brisk evening. They were on day two of their week-long, late fall hunting trip to stock up on game for the winter. Hoss had bagged two deer earlier today but that had been their only success so far. The bear population was high this year and they were hoping to shoot a bear. One good size bear could help get them through the winter. “Well brothers I'm two up on both of ya' " Hoss chuckled. “Hey Hoss, I wouldn’t brag yet….. Adam and me got big plans to get us a bear!” “That’s right Hoss, Little Joe here told me he’s got a “special spot” to show me tomorrow. You keep hunting deer, Joe and I are going for the big one!” “Well, that’s just fine you two….. I’ll at least double my catch tomorrow, let’s see what you can do!” Adam smiled, “Good Night boys” At daybreak Adam had the coffee on and was frying up bacon and eggs for his brothers. The smell awakened Hoss who poured a cup of coffee for himself. “Smells real good Adam” “Well try and wake the kid there so we can get moving” “Hey Adam, he’s your hunting partner today, you wake him…..” Adam shook Joe, “Come on kid, time to get up….. we’ve got a bear to catch!” “Adam, the bears aren’t even awake yet…. let me sleeeeppp" “Remember last year Joe……” Adam placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Joes’ face. “Okay.....I’m up….. sure smells good!” After breakfast, Hoss took off to the East as Joe and Adam headed North … Joe grinned at his brother, ”Meet you back here at dinner time Hoss, happy hunting !” ***************************************************************************************************************************** Adam and Joe traveled about 3 miles up a hilly area and finally reached their destination. Adam looked at the beautiful scenery and off in the distance the small lake. “How did you know about this place Joe?" “Last spring me and Hoss were hunting near here, I came across this place. It’s so beautiful and peaceful, I layed down by the water and napped all afternoon and never even told Hoss. He thought I hunting the whole time” Joe let loose with his signature laugh and Adam couldn’t help but smile. Joe had just turned 14 and he had to really plead with Adam to go on this trip. He joined them last year for the first time and Adam had almost killed him! He whined and complained the whole trip and it had been pure torture on both Adam and Hoss. So far he had been real good on this trip and Adam was truly enjoying his little brothers company. They dismounted and took their rifles from their saddle bags. They made their way down a steep path to the edge of the water. Joe motioned to Adam and directly across from them they saw a bear. It was a medium sized female and Joe took aim. Before Adam realized what had happened Joe shot at the bear striking it in the side. Adam yelled, “Joe, no stop!” Joe looked at Adam, “What is it Adam, I got her” “Joe, the cubs, she’s got cubs!" Joe hadn’t seen the three bear cubs that came out of the bushes, but it was too late. The mama bear bellowed and raced across the shallow water bearing down on them. Joes’ gun jammed as he tried to fire again. Adam fired twice, both shots striking her but she was enraged. She swung a paw striking Adam knocking him to the ground. She turned to Joe and attacked. Her sharp claws tore into his back and buttocks. She bit down on Joes’ right shoulder and picked him up like a rag doll. She continued to shake Joe as he screamed in agony. Adam pulled himself to his knees and looked on in horror as the bear flung his little brother into the water. As the bear turned on Joe again, Adam fired four more shots into the bear finally bringing her down. “Joe, oh God Joe!!!” Adam staggered into the waist deep water where Joe lay facedown and deathly still. The water was red with Joes’ blood as Adam grabbed his little brother and pulled him to the shoreline. Joe was not breathing!!!! Adam sat with Joe in front of him, placed his arms firmly around his chest and pushed again and again …… “Come on Joe.... breathe kid, breathe!!!!” Adam was frantic and continued his efforts. After three or four minutes, Joe coughed and gasped for air. Adam laid Joe across his lap as he coughed and spit water from his lungs……. “That’s it little buddy, breathe, I’ve got you Joe, just breathe." Adam gently caressed Joe’s head and neck and after a few minutes Joe spoke….. “Adam, oh God Adam, my arm…. Oh it hurts Adam….” “I know Joe….. I need to roll you onto your back so I can look at your shoulder. Buddy the bear clawed your back up really bad…. this is going to hurt… “ “It’s okay Adam, I’ll be alright….” Adam peeled his jacket off and laid it down. Then as tenderly as possible, he rolled Joe off his lap onto the coat. The intensity of the pain shocked Joe and he couldn’t contain his scream. “OH ADAM, OH IT HURTS ADAM, OH MY GOD IT HUURTTS......." Adam caressed Joes’ head and whispered softly….. “It’s okay buddy, calm down….. it’s okay, sshhh….. “ After a couple of minutes Joes’ breathing calmed and Adam moved to look at the injured shoulder. Joe was drenched, the air was cool, and he was beginning to shiver. Using his pocket knife Adam cut Joes’ jacket and tore his shirt away, gasping at the sight of the wound. It was bleeding profusely and the bears’ teeth had caused massive damage. The muscles were torn and exposed and the bone was sticking through the wound. Adam placed Joes’ wet shirt against the wound and then tied his shirt around it tightly trying to staunch the bleeding. Joes’ groans grew louder. “I’m sorry Joe…..just hang on buddy…” “I’m so cold Adam….” “I know Joe. I have to get us out of here and up to the horses. I’m going to sit you up and then put my jacket on you. I have carry you Joe and it will hurt but we have to get back to camp, Hoss has no idea where we are.” “Kay'Adam, let’s do it….” Adam placed one arm behind Joes’ head and the other around his waist and gently pulled him to a sitting position. Joe tried very hard not to cry out but couldn’t control groaning in pain. Pain shot through Joes’ entire body and he prayed for strength to fight. Adam slipped Joes’ wet jacket off and then slid his left arm into his jacket and draped it across his right side buttoning it tightly. Adam was going to have to leave their shotguns, he couldn’t carry them and Joe. He tied Joes’ wet jacket around his waist and shivered. His jeans and boots were drenched, Joe had to be freezing. “Okay buddy, here we go….” He flung Joes’ left arm around his shoulder and as gently as possible he stood with Joe in his strong steady grasp. “Oh Adam, oh my back…..” “I know, I’m so sorry Joe…..” Joe leaned his head against his brothers’ shoulder and Adam started the hike up the path. ******************************************************************************************************************************* By the time he reached the horses Joe has passed out. “Joe, Joe, buddy you’ve got to wake up. You have to help me buddy….” Joe moaned, “I hear ya Adam……” “Joe, help me get you up on Sport, okay…..” It was a very painful process and once Joe was seated on Sport Adam grabbed Cochises’ reigns and mounted up behind Joe. He pulled Joe back against him to try to keep him warm and starting down the hillside. Joe moaned and slipped in and out of consciousness on the way back to camp. His body was shaking uncontrollably in the cool fall air. Adam looked at the skies, noticing the clouds that were forming off to the East, he hoped and prayed that a storm was not immanent. Once he pulled into camp, Adam dismounted and rolled Joe off Sport. Joe awoke as the pain again overtook him. “Joe, Joe…..I’ve got you buddy. Joe look at me……do you think you can stand up here for a couple of minutes buddy so I can get a bedroll laid out for you?” “Yeah Adam…. I can…stand….” He didn’t sound too convincing, but Adam had no real choice. “Okay Joe, lean on Sport buddy…. hang on tight…..” Adam moved quickly and laid Joes’ bedroll close the fire. He grabbed Joes’ pack, pulled out some dry clothes and made his way to Joe’s side. “You’re doing great little buddy, let’s get you out of these wet clothes so you can warm up, okay….” Joe’s teeth chattered as he said, “sounds goooood, Aaaddaamm…” Joe leaned against Sport as Adam took off his boots and socks and then slipped off his jeans and shorts replacing them with long underwear and dry jeans. “You doing all right pal” “uh..huh…..” Joe looked horrible and his lips had a blue tinge to them, Adam had to warm him up quickly. He unbuttoned his jacket and slid it off Joe just as Joe said, “Adam, I think I need to lay….” Joe fell forward into Adam’s arms. Adam scooped him up and carried him to the bedroll. He laid Joe gently on his left side and looked at the shoulder. The shirts bandaging the wound were drenched in blood. Adam looked at his t-shirt that was also soaked in blood. Joe had lost a lot of blood…. so much blood. Adam grabbed his pack and medical supplies and started cutting away the bandages. The shoulder was a bloody mass of tissue and muscle, and he would be surprised if Joe ever would have full use of that arm again. Joe came to moaning in agony. “Hey Joe, sshhh, it’s okay” “I’m thirsty Adam” Adam helped Joe drink and calmly talked to him. “Joe I have to sew up this arm. Your shoulder’s broken buddy and I need to try and set it first. This is really going to hurt” “Just do it Adam, we aint’ got no choice….I can handle it” “I know you can kid…. I’m proud of you” Adam straddled Joe to keep his body still and as quickly as possible he pushed the bone into place. Joes’ screams tore at Adams’ heart but he continued. Using whiskey from his pack he poured it onto the wound to sanitize it and then sewed it the best he could. Joe moaned and cried weakly as he lost consciousness. Adam bandaged the shoulder and then turned his attention to Joes’ back. Oh God, what a mess….. the claw marks were very deep and several were still bleeding. Signs of infection were already evident. Adam again used the whiskey to cleanse the wounds. Joe whimpered but remained unconscious which was a blessing. Adam sewed and bandaged the wounds quickly and then as gently as possible slipped Joes’ long undershirt over his head. Using his belt, he secured Joes’ right arm tightly against his body and then covered him with his and Hoss’ bedrolls. Once Joe was settled, Adam got into some dry clothes and started the fire. It was cooling off, Adam hoped Hoss was paying attention to the skies and would come back early. They had to get Joe to a Doctor soon, his temperature was already rising. Adam went to the edge of the campsite and fired three shots into the air hoping Hoss would hear and recognize their distress code. He then made his way back to Joes’ side and waited. ******************************************************************************************************************************* Hoss had bagged one more deer today, and it was a good one. A 5-point buck! He still was hoping to get another one today, but then he heard the shots….. the Cartwright distress code, something was wrong and his brothers’ needed him. He quickly mounted Chubb and made this was back towards camp. Adam was still chilled but the fire was helping. Joe was still shaking, Adam held him in his lap and talked continually to him. “Joe, how ya doing kid?” “It hurts Adam….. I’m so cold, can’t seem to warm up……oh it hurts brother, it hurts….” “I know Joe, as soon as Hoss gets back we’ll start back home, okay?” “What about the game, Adam?” “We leave it Joe, it doesn’t matter, we’ve got to get you to Doc Martin as soon as possible” “I’m so sorry Adam….. I ruined the hunt again…..” Joe began to sob. “so…sorry…..Adam, so sorry…..” Adam wiped the tears from Joes’ cheeks, “Hey buddy, this isn’t your fault….. I should have stopped you….. I’m very proud of you buddy and I love you very much. I just need you to hang on and let me take care of you okay?” “But we need the meat for the winter….” “No Joe, we need you! The meat doesn’t matter at all, we’ll be fine even if we have to eat beans all winter long” “Thanks Adam, I love you too” Adam was worried, Joes’ fever was climbing, infection was setting in. Joe closed his eyes as Adam held him tightly humming songs to calm him down. Hoss pulled into camp about an hour later and made his way to brothers’ side. “What happened Adam?” “A bear attack Hoss….. I’ve sewed him up but he lost a lot of blood. His back and shoulder are torn up badly, he’s running a fever and is in a lot of pain…… Hoss, I don’t like the look of these skies……. it looks a storm is coming and the temperature is really dropping, we’ve got to get out of here now.” “Adam, you want me to just go for help?” “ No Hoss, he’s freezing now….. he was thrown into the water…… I’m not having much luck warming him and it’s going to keep getting colder as the day goes on. I’ll ride double with him. It will be slow but we should be able to get home by daybreak. I’m afraid if a storm hits he won’t survive the elements. We have to go now…..” Hoss sensed the distress in Adams’ voice. Adam was afraid, and that made Hoss afraid. Adam never pulled punches and Hoss understood the gravity of the situation, they were in danger of loosing their little brother. Hoss was determined not to let that happen. &nbs
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