Capture!
He could have been asleep for days—a heavy, dark sleep.
Roused by the wail of a spirit, he opened his eyes and found his world askew. He was lying down on the rocky trail near the bands of metal and, lo, the monster was coming near to him! It heaved and sighed as a deafening scream came from the metal bands, then the monster stopped. As he rolled over, he saw the opening of the tunnel, and realized the circumstances of his actions when he fell. Now men—demons all—stepped from the monster and came toward him, babbling in their strange tongue. Quickly rising, with a thick head, he scrambled up the bluff as if fleeing from death itself. His grip on the rock was painful and awkward and he finally reached a ledge where he again grew dizzy. He stared first across the canyon, then down at the monster. The voices of the demons grew louder. He froze, as if cornered by a cougar. A boulder fell from above, and he covered his head in fear. Suddenly, two demons grabbed him. Before he could do anything, they tied a rope around his arms and torso. Captured! The demons lowered him down near the monster and carried him into it.
Death seemed imminent.
Face to Face
A fine, golden mist veiled the morning sun. Already, the warm rays of this early spring day could be felt. The trio rose with the sun, and they then went to the lake to wash their faces and chests. Daniel brewed a kettle of tea and opened a can of strawberry jam which the boys had with their bread. The heady scent of evergreens was as nourishing as any food could be. Was this really home?
After breakfast, Daniel and Benjamin decided to take the old rowboat and explore the shoreline. Davy wanted to take the trail and poke around the shore. They agreed to rendezvous at midday for a little lunch that Benjamin brought with him. Davy would give the call of “Papee-ahk” the eagle—a shrill, haunting sound—three times. As they departed, the mist thinned out and the sun shone brightly, highlighting the ends of the branches as if they were touched with gold. No one could imagine a finer day nor a place more majestic. The gentle lapping of water along the shore had an almost hypnotic effect on Davy. He had this comforting feeling before. Occasionally, a songbird broke the silence.
As agreed, at midday Davy gave the call of the eagle and, before long, the rowboat appeared. The lads shared a meal of cheese and winter pears. Benjamin revelled at the beauty of Nature in the Pacific Northwest. He wished that he could bring his family to the lake. Davy showed his companions a tree branch, recently split, with a trace of black hair. “The bear comes here,” he explained. “Perhaps a family of them, seeking food.” Conversation continued until Davy decided to put his head down for a little nap. Daniel and Benjamin would meet Davy at the cabin in a few hours. Having hiked all morning, Davy felt quite tired. He soon fell into a sound sleep and, before long, started to dream. He was trekking through the bush, following a shadowy figure some thirty feet ahead of him. The figure was large—bigger than most men—and Davy could only see its head for a split-second at a time. It had a full head of dark hair and long arms. Davy did not know why he was following the figure, but felt a strong urge to catch up to it and meet it. The bush became dense, and Davy had to fight his way ahead. He stumbled on a tree root. When he lifted himself up, he looked ahead and saw the figure turn toward him. He began to discern a face. Suddenly, he heard a shrill noise, and awoke just before he could see the figure’s face clearly.
Davy arose and started back to the cabin, convincing himself he had seen an actual—not a dreamed—creature.
That evening, Davy recounted the dream to his companions. Benjamin suggested that he was following the trail of Davy’s own father. Daniel made a more startling observation: Davy was dreaming about the giant man, Sus’qet, Sasquatch, as the white man called him.
“If I could only see his face,” Davy whispered.