As the beast broke through the thick brush, its growls thundered as it set upon Frank. It was the largest black bear he’d ever seen. The bear vigorously mauled his shoulder as Jack tore into the beast’s hind quarters.
Unexpectedly, the bear released Frank in order to deal with Jack’s relentless attack. Ferociously he wheeled, and tore Jack loose, slamming him across the ground. Bouncing back, Jack was in a frenzy. He ripped and tore into the enraged black bear once more. The two rolled over and over thrashing about in the high brush as Frank wildly tried to strike the bear with a tree limb.
The bear knocked Jack spinning into a tree, and lashed out at Frank, catching his leg, which sent him flying through the air. Crashing almost head first, Frank landed in a thicket of honeysuckle, which softened the landing somewhat.
Its claws had slashed Frank’s leg open from his waist down to his knee. The black bear broke off its attack unexpectedly. Suddenly turning, it disappeared into the woods. Frank could hear it scrambling through the brush, as it made its retreat.
Bleeding from his shoulder, and left leg, he hobbled to where Jack was laying against the tree. Jack was licking at his wounds. Stumbling, and falling beside him, Frank sat down.
“Well Jack, I’ll tell you the truth. We lost round one. I think we better throw in the towel, and head for home before he comes back for round two. Let’s get outta here,” he said standing up. Jack rose up a bit wobbly as they started for home.
Weak from his injuries, Frank stopped from time to time to rest. He worried he couldn’t make it. Finally, he collapsed to the ground not sure how far they had traveled, he was exhausted.
“Jack my old friend, you go on ahead and get Virginia. I’ll rest here.” He moaned as he propped himself up against a tree.
Jack sniffed his master and then headed on. He painfully made his way through the forest to the back door of the house.
Virginia heard the sound and came to see what was going on. “Oh my God Jack, you look like you were run over by a buzz saw.”
She quickly checked his injuries, and rushed him into the house. Bandaging his bleeding wounds with gauze and tape, she headed for the first aid kit. She unlocked Frank’s gun box and loaded his forty-five caliber pistol. Jack followed her as they made their way to her car. She drove to the woods where she then let Jack take over as guide.
With Jack being injured and Virginia not at home in the woods, they moved at a snail’s pace, or so it seemed. They finally reached Frank, who had tried to bandage his wounds with his shirt. He did a fairly good job on his leg; he stopped the majority of the bleeding. But, it was difficult for him to focus on his shoulder injury.
Virginia dropped to one knee, and began to help. She cleaned the shoulder wound with alcohol, and taped a pressure bandage on it. She then turned her attention to his leg and repeated the same procedure.
Frank was having difficulty keeping his eyes open. Weak and in pain, he tried not to move much. Jack lay next to him, as if to offer what little comfort he could muster.
“You boys stay here. Don’t move from this spot. I’ll go get some help. Frank, hold on to this.”
He opened his eyes, and saw she was handing him his pistol. “Listen, tell the sheriff it was a black bear, and he should be careful. It’s still around this area, I think.”
Virginia managed to find her way back and phoned the authorities in town, and also called the rangers station for assistance. The last call she made was to the veterinarian who told her he’d come to the house as soon as possible.
Harry and Ann Carmichael saw her dash into the house. They called and after Virginia told them the story, they said they’d be right over to give aid and comfort.
As the emergency crew arrived, Virginia got into the lead vehicle and showed them where they needed to enter the forest. Arriving on the edge of the woods, the sheriff’s deputies, paramedics and several rangers began unloading their rescue equipment.
Frank was drifting in and out of consciousness. Unaware that Jack had now risen to a defensive stance with his ears pointing straight up, he turned forward. The blood matted hair on the back of his neck and shoulders was flared, and puffed up. What at first looked like a grin on his snout, slowly turned into a vicious savage snarl, as he bared his teeth.
Realizing something was wrong, Frank tried to sit up. It was difficult for him to focus; he could barely make out Jack standing between him and the dense woods. Frank checked the gun, making sure a bullet was in the chamber and ready to fire. He knew they couldn’t withstand another attack. Making an effort to protect his faithful companion, Frank ordered Jack to back off, and to go home. Repeating his command in a calm, yet forceful voice, Jack didn’t budge, holding his ground to protect his master to the very end.
Jack’s right eye was nearly closed from the first brutal attack by the black bear. He was relying mainly on his sensitive hearing, to tell him the position of the menacing beast.
Frank could also hear the approaching bear, its weight cracking the underbrush as it circled around them. Fever was burning in Frank’s brain, his vision now almost gone; he made one last attempt to spare Jack’s life. “Jack, I command you to go home. Break off. Break off. Go home now!” he yelled.
Jack remained firm, never wavering for a moment. His head turning to follow the sounds as the mighty beast circled them, moving ever closer. Frank was too weak to stand, he tried to prop himself up in a better defensive position.
Without further warning the thrashing sound from the woods came straight at them. Jack instinctively charged the rapidly advancing hulk as it burst through the dense brush. Frank rolled over on his stomach, and fired four quick shots at the massive blur, that was now less then ten feet from him. The wounded beast turned and disappeared into the dark forest. Frank knew by the sounds, it ran only a short distance, and collapsed.
“Jack! Jack! Where are you?” Frank couldn’t see him. Trying to stand once more, he crumpled to the ground. Suddenly, he felt Jack at his side. “Good boy, Jack, good boy, stay close to me. If he comes back, let me know. I think I got a couple rounds left. Stay alert; I need to rest my eyes a bit.” He said slumping over unconscious.