CHAPTER 4

Jeremy gives Candy a gentle squeeze while she's laying in his arms and says, "Well, I hate to say it but I guess I need to get up and get to work before Jason comes down here looking for me."

"Jeremy?"

"Yeah?"

"So you really do forgive me for telling Biddie about us?" Candy asks.

"Didn't my actions just now show you I forgive you?" he chuckles.

Candy kisses him tenderly on the lips and says, "Yes, but would you show me one more time?"

"My pleasure," he replies with a big beautiful smile as he rolls over and places Candy underneath him.

Later, after Jeremy has left and Candy does her daily housekeeping chores, she places a roast of beef in her dutch oven along with some root vegetables and puts it in the oven to cook slowly. She gets her pail that she gathers berries and nuts in, then takes off her apron.

Molly and Christopher come running into the house. "And just what are the two of you doing home?" she asks them.

"The teacher got sick, so she told us all to go home," Chris grins.

"Miss Essie is sick? What's wrong with her?" Candy inquires.

"She got sick on her stomach," Molly says.

"Yeah, she puked everywhere. It was so funny," Chris laughs.

"Christopher!" Candy says sternly. "It's not nice to make fun of other people especially when they're sick."

"Sorry," he mumbles.

"Well, go get your pails and you can help me pick up pecans. I thought Jeremy might like to have something different besides the same old berry pies."

"Aww, do I have to?" Chris whines.

"Yes, you do. It'll go much faster with the three of us picking them up. Hurry, then you can help me shell them."

Molly runs to get their pails and the three of them go up the road towards the camp. There is a small grove of pecan trees close to the camp.

Almost an hour later, Molly asks, "Candy, our pails are full. Can we go sit over there on those logs next to the road?"

"All right, but don't wander off. I'll be there shortly."

When Candy's pail is full, she heads over to where her brother and sister are. She stops in her tracks when she sees the two of them playing with two small bear cubs. "Molly, Christopher, get away from them," she calls out. She can hear movement in the trees and a huffing sound. She hurries to them and says, "I want the two of you to run up to the camp and get Jeremy. Don't stop for anything. Now run!"

"But aren't you coming with us?" Molly asks.

"I'll be right behind you. Don't worry if you don't see me. Just get Jeremy!" she says knowing that she won't be behind them. She has to stay there to be sure the mama bear doesn't follow them. "Go!"

She watches them run towards the camp and tries to remember what Jeremy told her she should do if she ever encounters a bear. First, he says to check if it's a grizzly or black bear. Grizzlies have a hump at their shoulders. Black bears don't. As she does her thinking, she slowly inches herself sideways towards the road. She can now see the bear through the bushes and trees. Oh Lord, help me. Goodness, what was it he said to do next. Don't panic. If it's a grizzly, play dead. If it's a black bear, you're as good as dead. Oh please, let it be a grizzly. At least then I may have a chance. She sees a hump on the shoulders, then sees the bear stand on it's hind legs. That's good. Jeremy said that wasn't an aggressive move, she remembers as she continues to slide sideways. When the bear moves towards her, she waits till its almost on her, then she drops to the ground on her stomach and gets in a fetal position, covering her neck with her hands. She lays very still.

Meanwhile, Molly and Chris make it to the camp yelling, "Jeremy! Jeremy! Jeremy!"

Jeremy and his brothers jump up and run towards them "What are you doing up here alone? Does Candy know where you are?"

"Candy. . ." Chris says out of breath.

"What about Candy?" Jason asks.

"A bear. . .a bear. . ."

Jeremy moans, "Not you, too. I don't want to hear anything else about bears," he waves his hands dismissively and starts to walk off.

"But a bear. . .attacked Candy and ate her all up," Molly cries.

"What? What are you saying?" Josh asks.

Jeremy grabs her by her shoulders. "What did you say? Candy was attacked by a bear?" he asks as fear overtakes him.

"Yeah, and ate her all up," Molly sobs.

"Where? Where is she?" Jeremy yells.

Molly and Chris point in the direction from which they came. Josh runs into the tent to get a rifle. Jason tosses the kids in the back of the buckboard and jumps on the seat taking the reins. Jeremy jumps up beside him.

As Josh climbs in the back, he says to Corky, "You're in charge." Then the buckboard takes off down the road.

Corky looks around at the fifteen to twenty men standing there. Finally he says, "What're we waitin' for? Let's go help!" They all take off running down the road.

Candy is laying as still as she can trying not to make a sound as the bear sniffs her and tries to flip her over. When the bear succeeds in flipping her, Candy rolls completely over so she winds up in the same position she was in, with her stomach and face to the ground. She feels the claws of the bear rip through her dress as it scratches her back and shoulder. It's all she can do not to cry out. After several more flips and a bite or two, Candy passes out mostly from fear, just as the bear gives up and runs into the woods with her cubs.

"There!" Jeremy yells several minutes later, as he jumps from the wagon before it even stops and runs to Candy. He sees her ripped dress and the blood as he turns her over and checks to see if she's alive. "She's alive!"

Josh jumps down, "Jeremy, get in back. I'll hand her to you."

Jeremy does as instructed and takes Candy in his arms. Josh jumps up on the seat beside Jason and they hurry to town to see Dr. Wright.