Rose jumped to her chair, and pointed her finger at the retired ranger, “Stop right there. Don’t say another word. I’m fixing lunch, and I don’t want to miss any of this story.”
“This’ll be a good time to have a break, because the event I’m about to tell you will take some time,” he replied.
Donny moved his chair closer, “Grandpa, have you heard the strange music in the forest?”
“Many times. The first time it happened I was camping on Eagle Ridge. I swear as I lay in my tent that night, I distinctly heard Indian drums. It lasted for several hours, and it’s safe to say, I didn’t sleep well that night.”
“Be quiet out there!” Rose yelled from the kitchen. “I want to hear everything, too. Wait for me!”
She kicked the screen door open with her foot, and balanced a tray of sandwiches to the porch, and placed it on a small table, “Okay, let’s hear your tale.”
Donny and his grandfather each took a sandwich. The retired ranger lifted the bread, and examined the lunchmeat. Rose stopped eating, and gave him a look that could kill. He replaced the bread, and had a healthy bite. She smiled, and continued to eat.
“Let’s see now,” he said between bites as he began his last story.
It was late afternoon and Frank was bored so he set his mind to thinking. Going into the kitchen he approached Virginia who was washing dishes.
“I’m thinking of testing Jack.” Frank began.
“Uh huh, so you’re going to test Jack, are you? And just how do you plan to do that?” she asked.
“I’m gonna let the blue nose mule out, and chase it into the woods. Then I’ll have Jack search for him. A good plan, don’t you think?”
“No, it’s a poor plan. Your timing is off,” Virginia said looking him straight in the eye.
“What you mean my timing is off?” Frank challenged.
“It’s too late in the day to do your little test. If Jack can’t find that old mule before dark, it’ll be out in the woods all night. My rule is to wait until early morning to conduct your little test.” She shot back.
“I wasn’t gonna do it now. I planned all along to do it tomorrow morning.” Frank walked into the living room. “And where’s all these rule’s comin’ from?”
Virginia didn’t answer him. They spent the rest of the evening not speaking.
Early the next morning, all was back to normal in the Turner household. Frank brought Jack inside so he could turn the mule loose in the forest. He led the mule deep into the forest, and taking off the lead rope, he slapped it on the rump, and sent it running into the wilderness. Frank returned home using a different route. Jack was waiting just inside the back door.
“It won’t be long now, old friend. Give me a few minutes rest, and I’ll turn you loose.”
Frank enjoyed a hot cup of coffee, while Jack watched his every move. He reached over, and gave Jack a super head rub, and ear scratching.
“Well, let’s hit the road,” Frank said heading for the back door.
Entering the small mule barn, Jack was instructed to take the scent. Sniffing and nuzzling around the stall, he sat down. That was Frank’s signal that he was ready to track.
Giving a hand gesture he said, “Go find old Blue. He’s lost.”
Jack started his track sniffing around the barn, then moving out further until he located the trail Frank and the mule had taken earlier into the forest. Frank beamed with pride. With ears erect, and turned forward, Jack glided through the woods with ease following the erratic course set by the wandering mule. After awhile, he stopped and held his head high. Visually scanning the entire area in front of him, he seemed alerted to something lurking nearby.
Frank was experiencing a difficult time trying to keep up with Jack, and he was glad he stopped to look around. Jack started tracking and once again stopped to look around. Frank noticed he was acting uneasy, but he allowed him to resume his track. As they approached a small stream—which was three feet across and about a foot deep—Jack stopped to drink the cool running water.
Suddenly, Jack focused on a sound Frank couldn’t hear in the distance. A soft growl emerged from deep within his throat.
“What is it? I don’t see anything.” Frank said looking in all directions.
Jack slowly crossed the small stream with Frank right behind him. They went about a hundred feet when Jack stopped. He went into a defensive stance, with his nape hair standing straight up. Trying to focus in on the danger that lay before them, Jack stood on guard.
Frank still could not see or hear anything, so he froze by Jack’s side. He had no idea what to expect. Now he was silently cussing himself for not bringing his gun.
Jack began to growl openly, and loudly as he and Frank could now make out the crashing sound coming toward them. They were both taken by surprise due to the speed at which the attack occurred.