Page 103 of True North

The low, feral growl of the biggest wolf vibrates through the mountain around us. I cock the lever of the rifle.

I’m gonna have to be quick.

I got five shots, six wolves.

I’ll be lucky to put down two.

The odds are not in my favor. Or that of the other prey animals on the side of this mountain.

The center wolf steps forward, head down. He snarls at me. I raise the rifle and look down the barrel. I take note of the dogs on either side of him.

He growls, lunging for the gelding.

The trigger gives way under my finger.

The rifle cracks.

The wolf slides to the ground.

I shift to the left.

Aim.

Squeeze.

Crack.

The whines and howls following have the four left hightailing it up the side of the mountain, disappearing into the trees. The gelding shifts on his feet, bobbing his head.

Poor little man, too much excitement for him.

I swing out of the saddle and give him a rub before taking the reins over his head and in one hand. I walk to the first beast.

One of my herd cows.

Fuck.

She’s still alive, only just. Lyin’ in a pool of her own blood as it turns stiff on the frozen ground.

“Sorry, girl.” I lift the rifle and shoot her point-blank. No need for her to suffer. The next two are dead, the last two not so lucky.

A small heifer and a calf, a little bull, lie gurgling in their own blood, their throats shredded. They won’t last, but I won’t let them suffer, either.

“Fuck me.” I take my hat off, shoving my hand still holding the reins over my head. “Dammit!”

Reloading, I tap the last two.

Jesus fuckin’ Christ.

“What a damn mess,” I mutter to the gelding as I swing into the saddle.

I heard the remaining cattle down the hill. It’s slow going and they are skittish, rightly so. Poor things. We reach the small bunch I found first, and I let them settle in and lope around, doing another once-over.

I wait a while to make sure they’re not gonna spook and take off back up the mountain. Two wolves down, four to go.

* * *

The house is dark again when I finally make it back to the flats before the fields between the barn and the mountains. The gelding and I are both exhausted.

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