Shirley did your great uncle Eddie have a prospecting partner on this mountain. Someone called Ernest with a T & A in his surname?
Run Ginger! The Lion's after her! I can't get a clear shot as it's almost on top of her, here goes anyway. Bang! Oh Lordy, I hit Ginger instead. The Lion is biting her in the neck now. I'm firing again. Use your guns! Bang! I wounded it !...
Oh brave little Ginger. Sorry you have lost her Terence. The lion is dead tho.. one less problem. We can now settle into the cabin for the nite. How far to the mad uncle's cabin Shirley. Have you had a think about who the hat may belong to. Someone called Ernest with a T & A in his surname. Rings any bells?
Ernest managed to escape out the back door when the mountain lion came through the window. But he did lose his hat. The blood on the hat probably came from the rabbit that Ernest was going to have for supper. He went to the cave that he sometimes uses as a campsite. He saw us approach his cabin and has agreed to help us get to Crazy Uncle Eddie's cabin in return for the mountain lion's skin.
So Shirley did Ernest know your mad great uncle. Can we trust him as it just struck me that maybe he also wants to find the money tree and he may be following us to lead him to it. Another fishy thing.. Terence describes the hat as classy and expensive . Ernest whatever his name is does not look the owner of such a hat. He is a trapper and probably a prospector.
I just finished burying Ginger. She was a good dog. OK, I'm ready, lead on. Ernest can have the lion skin for sure, I don't want it. Ginger's gone now and I don't want any reminders.
Nice to meet you Ernest, to be frank. I see you know how to skin so take it while I bury my dog. She was a smart dang but that lion was what killed her, not my bad shot, but maybe it could have been different? Destiny is all I reckon. Maybe a blessing in disguise? We'll see. Caves are good shelters y'all, but I still worry about bears in them. You never know. It's going to be a cold night with the skies clearing. Stay warm. A cave sounds warm. I have kindling, saw, axe and a flint, even matches and a lamp! When did you last visit the Cave Ernerst? Be frank. Anyone want Ginger's blanket? Ernest, you carrying weapons?
Frankly, guys, I think we can trust Ernest. He may be a bit of an imp but I don't think he has a crooked bone in his body...... except his legs. They are bowed from all the years he spent riding a horse in his young cowboy days. He has been a mountaineer long enough to know his way around these parts. So let's settle in for the night in his cave. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Ok Shirley I trust your judgement. I guess we have no choice but to trust Ernest as he knows the way to crazy Uncle Eddies cabin.
Later that nite a deep growl was heard as we were readying for some much needed sleep. A big black bear was approaching our cave. Hell we are probably in her home.. eek, what do we do now>>>>
We will take our tin pans and bang on them loudly. That will scare him away. Then we will put a lot of wood on the fire. He won't approach the fire. When we leave in the morning, we will leave him a chunk of meat to keep him busy as we go on our way to find Crazy Uncle Eddie's cabin.
Good thinking 99. Shirley's plan worked a treat and we survived our encounter with the bear. Then after breakfast Terence shot a rabbit and left it outside the cave entrance before we set off for the mad uncles cabin.....
Get your weapons out, start shouting and stoke the fire I reckon. Let's scare it off. Grab that fire brand someone and see my mule don't panic behind us.
As Terence selects a kill spot, kneels, cocks his fully loaded 6 repeater Winchester rifle, he mutters "a bear is in my destiny....always knew it."