The bear in the sun

The Bear In The Sun

“Are you ready?” He said, as he stepped out of the blind. “I’m gonna run  a few yards into that grassy part, then I’ll waft the scent. Remember, he might have started to head towards me before I open the bottle, we don’t know how close he is yet. If I see anything, I’ll give you a signal. You gotta be Johnny-on-the-spot with that scope.” Then he was off, sprinting towards the open area. He looked back at me as he crossed out of the trees and into the clearing.
My hands shook as I worked the bolt-action to make sure nothing had frozen. The air was harsh, and frost glistened in the knoll where Jim was kneeling down, waving the open bottle of musk. It was just before sunrise on March 4th. We normally hunted deer together, but we heard a bear had lost it and started killing people. Some guessed rabies. We decided to bag it, bait-style. Only two days in, we tracked it to this area, and set our camp.
The whole forest was silent, save for a light wind rustling the high branches. And as my eyes travelled up the trunks, I saw the sun, like a glowing glass of bourbon. It’s gold light filtered through the patterned blind, warming my face. That’s when I heard Jims signal, a soft whistle. I saw him in a cat-like pose. Two hunched legs on the ground, and one fist; his back was bent, and stiff, and his head forward, staring intently at something across the clearing. The silence was painful now. My eyes searched the opposite tree line frantically, but I couldn’t make anything out. Jim’s hand slowly moved to his belt, and he un-holstered his polished .45.
The bear swiftly rumbled out of the brush on all fours, and as it reached the middle of the clearing it stood up. The wind gusted, as if to cheer the creature. I wanted to shoot, but Jim was too close. Suddenly, Jim jumped and screamed a wordless phrase at the top of his lungs, waving his arms wildly. The bear stood motionless, then, lowering its head slightly, let out a deafening roar, loosening flecks of foam from the corners of its black lips. Even at forty yards, the cry made my ears ring, but Jim didn’t flinch. He raised his pistol with both hands and fired three shots. Jim was a skilled marksman, and at twenty yards, he could hit a beer can with that gun, but a glint of light from his pistol had caught the eye of the bear, and it flinched. The shots went wide, and the bear charged. The thing was in front of him in an instant. He managed to get off a few more shots before it knocked him to the ground. As soon as the bear was on top of him, I squeezed the trigger. My aim was true. The hollow-point disintegrated, and blasted the crown from the beast’s head.
Jim lay on the ground, half covered by the limp animal. I grabbed his bloodied jacket with both hands, and pulled him free, yelling his name. “JIM! Wake up, Jim! Talk to me!” Jim groaned, and coughed as he opened his eyes. “That was close, eh?” I said. “Hell, man. I thought you fell asleep on me.” and his gaze drifted. “Would ya look at that sun.” I turned and looked again to the east. “Prettiest one I ever seen.” Said Jim, as a joyful laugh broke from his lips.