Trapper's Journey

When suddenly, the bear rears up not thirty feet to the front of us; I react instantly, brining my rifle to my shoulder and firing almost at the same instant. I hit him, because, he looks at us. I turn and yell, Darleen up that tree! She gets the limb from her saddle while I''m still reloading and pulls her, self up. I wish that tree was bigger but, it was the nearest one to her position.

I get my...