The Adventures of Tom Malley Vol. I
The Making of a Man
“Curiosity had gotten the better of him and Tom had walked off to look inside the whiskey tent. He wasn’t really interested in the firewater but had heard stories about the various games men played. He had been standing in the back door watching the men inside while keeping an eye out for the men sleeping back at their camp when he saw a form coming through the prairie grass along the river. It was massive and he immediately knew it was a grizzly.
He instinctively began running to save the stock the beast was coming for and ran right past Bob and Cougar. There wasn’t time to set the animals free so he dropped to a knee for a steadier aim and fired when the huge creature got within thirty yards. His first shot found its mark but didn’t immediately kill the beast. While the monster staggered a few steps, he shook the first shot off and begun closing with the young man while he reloaded his musket. Tom didn’t have time to finish as the bear was now on him so he fired point blank with the tamping rod still in the barrel. The second shot rocked the beast onto its side but it still wasn’t finished.
Cougar Jenkins was much faster than Bob was and managed to run right up to the still kneeling young man. He took quick aim and fired his musket into the struggling beast. Bob was next to fire while Cougar was reloading and his bullet finished the bold bear.
When Bob turned to see Tom he noticed a look in his eyes he had seen many times in the wilderness from hardened mountain men. It wasn’t a look of fear but of determination. He also saw his young partner had dropped his musket and had his stone knife ready to fight if necessary.
Cougar finished reloading his musket and checked the bear to make sure he was done. He had also noticed the look and readiness to fight in the young man. Then he pulled out the tamping rod Tom had shot into the heavy body. It had almost completely disappeared inside the beast but was still sticking out a few inches. It took most of his strength to remove the rod but he did it and walked over then said, “I guess that bear didn’t know he was attacking a fearless mountain man. Here’s your rod, it was almost lost inside that mountain of muscle.”
“Thanks,” Tom said as he took the rod, picked up his musket and stood up. He needed to clean the bloody rod before putting it back. The bear was done for and he gave a quick prayer, thanking God for his life.
Bob finally broke his silence and said, “I been wondering about those bear claws you have around your neck. From what I just saw, I’d say you earned them the hard way.”
“Well if that’s true, you’re a braver man than I am,” Cougar added then paused before continuing. “A Cheyenne brave once told me he could feel the beating heart of the bear he killed with a lance. Could you feel the heart beating of the bear you killed?”
Tom didn’t want to answer but the men were good to him so he replied, “I don’t recall feeling the heart beat but I do remember tasting his last breath.”
“Damn, if that don’t beat all!” Bob said as he glanced at the dead hulk lying just a few yards away. His imagination allowed him to picture holding a long lance and driving it into the chest of an enormous beast and standing firm until the brute exhaled his last breath.”
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