On the Mountain Read Free Page A

many.  She doubted they would even notice if one went missing.  She polished off the potato before pulling the blanket closer and headed toward the exit once more.  Something reached out and touched her cheek.  She spun around, jabbing the air with the knife, causing some hard crusted strands of hair to whip across her cheek.
    Nobody was there.  With a start she realized her mud encased hair had been the culprit.  Lifting the knife in one hand and her hair in the other she sliced away until the long strands fell to the floor.
    Without giving it any further thought, she dropped the blanket, took a cautious step outside, looked around thoroughly, then slid inside the chicken coop.  Like a lioness she watched her prey with intent eyes and moved ever so slowly and quietly inside the pen.  Surprisingly, they did not so much as make a fuss.  Almost as if granting her permission.  The woman smiled, then leaped, catching a bird in her first attempt.
    Only then did the chickens begin to squawk, the one in her arms the loudest, but with a quick thrust of the blade she silenced him forever.  She felt the squirt of its blood explode on her hands the same moment she felt its small body go lifeless.
    A flash of memory.  A momentary numbness.  Her chest squeezed as if her internal organs were wrapping themselves around her lungs.  Panic started to rise.  Then it stopped.
    Quickly, she slipped out of the pen and back to her hiding spot in the barn with her prey.  The blade was sharp as it easily tore the bird apart.  She devoured the creature with delight.  It did not take long for her to consume the animal in its entirety, minus the bones and feathers, and satisfy her empty stomach.  Helping herself to another potato before drawing the blanket close, she searched out a corner to curl up into.
    She sat there for what seemed like eternity, not making a sound until eventually the mud on her ragged clothing grew hard.  Instinctively, she removed what was left of her tattered clothing to cuddle naked under the warmth of the blanket.  Just for a little while, she told herself.  Just long enough for her body temperature to return to normal. 
    To be sure, she tucked her clothes beneath the floorboard of her hiding spot.   If the owners were to return unexpectedly, she did not want any trace of her being there.

Chapter 2
    “Haddock!”  Joe Shelby, lead ranch hand, called out to him from the far side of the barns.  Glancing over he noticed the man gesturing for him.
    Handing his reins over to Chuck Rhodes, he wondered what Joe wanted and hoped it wouldn’t take long.  He wanted to take a fresh bath before Kathleen arrived.
    “What is it Joe?”
    “What do you make of this?”  The ranch hand pointed toward the chicken coop and Wade followed the direction of his finger.
    A splatter of fresh blood covered the ground.  A litter of feathers surrounding it.
    On their way home, they had stopped by the neighboring ranch of Bob O’Connor, the rancher who lived between the Haddock’s Circle H ranch and the town of Lantern.  Whenever Wade and his ranch hands were out on the trails for any length of time, Bob would check in on his homestead and tend to the animals. 
    Lifting a hand, Wade rubbed his grizzly beard and chewed thoughtfully on the tobacco tucked into the corner of his mouth.  Bob hadn’t mentioned any unusual activity at the ranch.
    “Cougar?” Joe asked.
    Lately, there had been a number of missing cattle up in the highlands and he suspected the mountain cougar was to blame, but so far there was no indication the animal had found its way onto the homestead.  Wade examined the pen fence and noted no sign of damage but did notice the blood had a trail that led to the barn.  “Get my rifle.”
    Joe gave a quick nod, was gone and back in a matter of minutes and handing Wade his Winchester.  Placing a silencing finger over his lips, he slowly crept toward the barn.  Just outside the door, he cocked his head