Travis had no idea how long he had lain there. He knew he was hurt. His left hand was throbbing. He felt his legs, moved them both, flexed his feet. They were fine.
He looked up to the top of the bluff.
Silvertip was standing there, staring down!
Travis had no more strength left to run. Something sticky was on his face and dripping down onto his lips. He tested it with his tongue. Blood!
Instinctively, with his right hand, he fumbled for a stone to protect himself. He stared up at the bear, and the bear stared back, sniffing the air.
Travis felt a large, round rock and tucked it in tight to his chest. If the bear comes down, he thought, I might be able to scare him off with one good throw. But I’ll only have one chance.
Silvertip backed off.
He’s looking for a way down! Travis thought.
He was crying. He was crying for his parents and his grandparents and for Muck and Mr. Dillinger. Crying for Nish and Sarah and all his teammates. Crying because they’d been so foolish.
He could hear the bear grunting, hear the slide of gravel and stone as the huge beast began coming down the side.
He drew the rock back, ready to throw.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
What was that sound?
Travis shook his head, trying to get a fix on it.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Jesse’s pot! The wooden spoon on the old pot!
Now there was a whistle. Then another. Loud and shrill.
There was movement in the cedars. First Jesse pushed through, still banging, then Simon with his whistle blasting, then Sarah and Sam, with the camera still filming, and finally Nish, his helmet off and his face redder and wetter than Travis had ever seen it.
“He’s over to your right!” Travis called.
They looked to where Travis thought he had heard the bear coming down.
“He’s long gone!” Jesse shouted down to him.
“Stay there, Travis,” shouted Sarah. “We’re coming to get you!”
Travis felt his first full breath enter his lungs. He could feel his hand hurting now, his skin was stinging, but he felt absolutely wonderful.
Silvertip was gone!
He set his rock down, already smiling at his own foolishness. As if this would have stopped Silvertip! he said to himself, looking at it.
It was an oddly shaped thing, perfectly round on one side, jagged on the other, and not all that heavy for its size. He almost threw it away before catching himself.
It wasn’t a rock at all!
Travis stared at it, not believing what he held in his hand.
A human skull!