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The animal screeched like a child in agony and sprang straight up into the air, twisting and snapping slavering jaws at the shaft embedded in its back. It landed hard, but got right up again and began hobbling toward Kyna. Less than three feet from her, the wolf convulsed once, like it was trying to cough up a lung, and fell over on its side. |
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Cyrus was too stunned to do anything but stare as the wolf vomited its lifeblood out in a crimson pool on the ground. In moments the animal's labored breathing became erratic and its eyes began to film over. It raised its head, looked up into Cyrus's face, bared its fangs and then died. |
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Kyna ran up to Cyrus and gently fingered the wound in his neck. |
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"Did you see that?" he said. |
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"Come on. Lets get you to a doctor." |
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"That was the darnedest thing I ever saw." |
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"You don't look so good," Kyna said. "Let's get going before you go into shock." |
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They reached the trailhead in time to see a man in an olive-green ranger's uniform insert a key into the door of the red pickup truck. |
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Kyna screamed, "Help us!" but they were too far away. |
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Cyrus was starting to believe Kyna was righthe was going into shock. His head felt like it was lighter than air and the pain in his neck was subsiding; even the ankle he'd twisted when he fell was feeling better. He collapsed against the side of a dusty boulder and said, "I think I'll just take a little rest. Go get him." |
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Kyna ran across the road waving her arms over her head like she was trying to flag down a train. The ranger saw her and pulled his green Mountie hat out of the truck, then ran to meet her. Cyrus could see Kyna's hands flying around and pointing at him. Finally the man nodded and they came back to Cyrus at a trot. |
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"The lady says you were attacked by a wolf," the ranger said. He gently pulled the bloody collar away from Cyrus's neck. The ranger was a big man, with a big ruddy face, but |
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