Wish You Well(54)

there is Jesus a'sitting next to God. Only God ain't there, 'cause he off doing good. 'Cause

he God. But you see the chair." He looked back at them. "Ain'tcha' now? See it?"

Oz said that he could see them all, clear as day though it was night. Lou hesitated,

wondering whether it was better to instruct Diamond on proper constellations or not. She

finally smiled. "You know a lot more about stars than we do, Diamond. Now that you

pointed them out, I can see them all too."

Diamond grinned big. "Well, up here on the mountain, we a lot closer to 'em than down

to the city. Don't worry, I teach you good."

They spent a pleasant hour there and then Lou thought it would be best if they got back.

They were about halfway home when Jeb started growling and making slow circles in the

tall grass, his snout wrinkled and his teeth bared.

"What's wrong with him, Diamond?" asked Lou.

"Just smells something. Lotta critters round. Don't pay him no mind."

Suddenly Jeb took off running hard and howling so loud it hurt their ears.

"Jeb!" Diamond called after him. "You come back here now." The dog never slowed,

though, and they finally saw why. The black bear was moving in long strides across the

far fringe of the meadow.

"Dang it, Jeb, leave that bear be." Diamond raced after the dog, and Lou and Oz ran after

Diamond. But dog and bear soon left the two-legs in the dust. Diamond finally stopped,

gasping for air, and Lou and Oz ran up to him and fell on the ground, their lungs near

bursting.

Diamond smacked his fist into his palm. "Dang that dog."

"Will that bear hurt him?" asked Oz anxiously.

"Shoot, naw. Jeb pro'bly tree the durn thing and then get tired and go on home." Diamond

didn't look convinced though. "Come on now."

They walked briskly for some minutes, until Diamond slowed, looked around, and held

up his hand for them to stop. He turned, put a finger to his lips, and motioned for them to

follow, but to keep low. They scooted along for about thirty feet, and then Diamond went

down on his belly and Lou and Oz did too. They crawled forward and were soon on the

rim of a little hollow. It was surrounded by trees and underbrush, the limbs and vines

overhanging me place and forming a natural roof, but the shafts of moonlight had broken

through in places, leaving the space well illuminated.

"What is it?" Lou wanted to know.

"Shh," Diamond said, and then cupped his hand around her ear and whispered. "Man's

still."

Lou looked again, and picked up on the bulky contraption with its big metal belly, copper

tubing, and wooden block legs. Jugs to be filled with the corn whiskey sat on boards

placed over stacked stone. A lit kerosene lamp was hooked to a slender post thrust into

the moist ground. Steam rose from the still. They heard movement.

Lou flinched as George Davis appeared next to the still and flopped down a forty-pound

burlap bag. The man was intent on his work and apparently never heard them. Lou

looked at Oz, who was shaking so hard Lou was afraid George Davis might feel the

ground vibrating. She tugged at Diamond and pointed to where they had come from.

Diamond nodded in agreement and they began to slither backward. Lou glanced back at

the still, but Davis had disappeared. She froze. And then she nearly screamed because she

heard something coming and feared the worst.

The bear flashed by her line of sight first and into the hollow. Then came Jeb. The bear

cut a sharp corner, and the dog skidded into the post holding the lamp and knocked it

over. The lamp hit the ground and smashed. The bear careened into the still, and metal

gave way under three hundred pounds of black bear and fell over, breaking open and

tearing loose the copper tubing. Diamond raced into the hollow, yelling at his dog.

The bear apparently was weary of being chased and turned and rose up on its hind legs,

its claws and teeth now quite prominent. Jeb stopped dead at the sight of the six-foot

black wall that could bite him in half, and backed up, growling. Diamond reached the

hound and pulled at his neck.

"Jeb, you fool thing!"

"Diamond!" Lou called out as she too jumped up and saw the man coming at her friend.

"What the hell!" Davis had emerged from the darkness, shotgun in hand.

"Diamond, look out!" screamed Lou again.

The bear roared, the dog barked, Diamond hollered, and Davis pointed his shotgun and

swore. The gun fired twice, and bear, dog, and boy took off running like the holy hell.

Lou ducked as the buckshot tore through leaves and imbedded in bark. "Run, Oz, run,"

screamed Lou. Oz jumped up and ran, but the boy was confused, for he headed into the

hollow instead of away from it. Davis was reloading his shotgun when Oz came upon