Walking Out Page #2

between you and any bear.

I promise.

So what's the story

with the Sheepmen?

Spaniards from near

the border with France.

They weren't wanted there

so they migrated here in clans.

Kept to themselves.

Were quick with knives.

Sometimes you can still

find their sardine cans

and snuff boxes.

This was some kind of

wild out here back then.

Back then?

Here's to the Sheepman.

So far from home.

Red Fescue.

Crusted wheat grass.

Cotton woods.

Killdeer.

Choke cherry.

Kingfisher.

Buffaloberry.

Your grandfather always

let me be fire master.

He brought me up on this

mountain when I was 14.

Well, that was the last year

he hunted big game..

First time I tasted whiskey.

You want some?

No. No.

And I was the same age as you.

Did you know he was

50 years older than me?

And I'm almost

30 years older than you.

And someday you'll have a son

and you'll be

30 years older than him..

And you'll want

so badly for him to know

who you are that you could cry.

You know?

What do you know, David?

What do you really know?

Um..

Nothing much, I guess.

Nothing much, I guess.

I don't know

what you want me to say.

Why was it

the last year he hunted?

Grandpa Clyde?

He was 64 damn years old..

But that wasn't the reason.

We took a moose

and a goat that year.

God, that goat.

Every inch of its hide

was covered with ticks.

I don't know why he quit.

I'd say it was my mother

dying so young.

You know, I guess

when death is in the air..

When a man feels himself

getting older..

He didn't much

want to kill anymore.

And I was just then

getting the taste for it.

Out.

Hey, dog.

Cranes.

Your mother loved them.

Flying home.

Later..

Years later

he'd still go out

after birds by himself.

So he didn't

stop hunting completely.

He usually just went out and

missed every shot on purpose.

Rise and shine.

Rise and shine.

We're gonna get our moose today.

You know, landmarks

can save you.

In case we get separated

or if you get lost

you go to high ground

and find them.

That bull pie snag

with the forked crown?

It marks the head

of the creek valley.

From there, we can wait

and watch

the whole Meadow

without being seen.

Is this..

This whole mountain's ours?

Well, today, yes.

We own it.

I'm hunting moose

with my father.

I'm getting my moose today.

Where's that bull pie?

Over there.

Let's go!

Better wait for your old man.

Sir moose comes once

in the morning.

And once again in the evening.

Least that's

what his tracks say.

He may not come for hours.

Or at all.

You can't tell.

If you could,

it wouldn't be hunting

it would be shopping.

He may even know

this is the last week

of the season.

So he may be on his guard

and go somewhere

less open to drink.

But he may not be

all that clever.

He could make a mistake.

Hey.

David.

What is that?

An old male griz.

- Are we gonna shoot him?

- No. No.

Why not?

Because we don't want to.

Because that's not hunting

for the meat.

That's hunting for the fear.

- He saw us.

- No, he smelled us.

They can smell a hundred

times better than we can.

Let's take a look

at that beaver pond.

Stay close.

Yeah, there's something

rotten down here.

Goddammit.

Three days. Maybe four.

Four days since what?

Someone tracked me tracking it.

Come closer,

you need to know this.

Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen

seventeen, eighteen.

Eighteen goddamn bullets.

From some pissant's

goddamn squirrel rifle.

Why'd they do that?

Goddamn asswipes!

You think they're still around?

I hope so.

You hear me,

you redneck f***ers?

You goddamn hear me?

Goddamn it.

Goddamn it.

Two weeks I follow you

two mother-loving weeks.

Get to know your habits

your scent, your scat.

Get taken by some

goddamn tourist.

Follow one's star, huh, Katie?

Yeah, you bet you followed it.

Right on back to Texas.

You couldn't hack it here.

What did you ever know

about me anyhow?

Did you ever even know me?

Musk thistle.

Milkweed.

Kinnikinnick.

Oh, Steller's Jay.

Steller's Jay.

Steller's Jay.

You look like a damn koala bear.

Or one of those cat posters?

"Hang in there."

Hang in there.

That's funny.

You sure as hell aren't

gonna sneak up on anything

clowning around like that..

Especially not the bull

elk we've been following

these last two miles.

A bull elk?

See these tracks along here?

Walk one,

wait five. Okay?

Don't skyline yourself.

Stay low.

Shh.

Sometimes the best stalking

is standing still.

Yeah.

There we go.

Shh, shh.

Gun down, gun down.

Put your gun down.

Right on top of that

ledge right there.

- You see it?

- Yeah. Yeah.

Quiet yourself.

You gotta be so quiet right now.

It's way up close.

- Alright? Just follow me.

- Yeah.

Alright.

You got eyes on him?

Alright, safety off, safety off.

Now, deep breath now.

Yeah.

Just let it out as

you squeeze the trigger.

And then you pull it soft,

but sure.

Alright?

You got it!

Always approach from behind

so he can't lash at you

with his hooves.

Get hold of his rack,

in case he's not dead.

Good. Get it out

of your system.

I need you to help me

dress out our elk

before nightfall.

We'll drag him to cover

and quarter sir elk

in the morning.

You ready to gut him?

It's right here.

Take it, David.

Hm..

I guess I'm getting to be

like your grandfather.

He was a railroader.

Route manager.

After school

I'd stop by the station.

He'd be asleep,

face flat on his desk

timetables damp with drool.

After we checked mom

into St. Anne's

for the last time

it became chronic..

They called it narcolepsy.

It got him his pension..

But I think he just

didn't care much

for being awake alone

for so many empty hours.

It used to be a tablespoon

and then she wrote in

half a tablespoon.

Ah..

I still love that part.

Stomach cancer.

Your grandmother Chloe

was only 51, David.

And her last three years

were total hell.

Don't you dare let me

go out that way.

You never told me

about your moose.

You said you, you killed a moose

when you were my age.

Oh, yeah.

For my birthday

my father gave me

the .30-30 I gave you.

He said it was lucky.

Said it was a man's gun.

I was so sure I'd get my moose

my hands were shaking.

Your grandfather

called it buck fever.

My heart was in my

throat. My mind was mush.

What does a moose look like?

Did you just ask me

what a moose looks like?

What's he gonna do

when he sees me?

What kind of thing is he

gonna do? I need to know.

Right.

He's gonna be pitch-black,

a little stupid.

He might not even see you

or he could charge you.

Alright?

Hey..

Just don't mix this up.

I'm the ugly one in

the Elmer-fudd hat.

Alright?

I was furious with myself.

And I was sure that

moose would be gone.

You're done in.

You'd best get to bed.

Big day tomorrow.

Let's go, David.

Now.

Come on.

The snow is not our friend.

I had half a mind at breakfast

to let the bull lie

and pack us straight

down out of here.

Probably smarter,

easier in the long run.

I could come back on

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