10CEven though yesterday was M's BD we were occupied with her running the ladies closing bowls and luncheon and I did the men's in the pm with pizza for supper picked up and delivered by M. At least all the guys sang her happy birthday.

, the nearby noise of the river rushing by and the mesmerization of the flickering flames lulled his thoughts and he slumped into sleep.  Much later the cool night air half aroused him, he threw a couple more sticks on the fire and crawled into his bed.

  Hours later he was torn from his sleep, a crushing pain in one of his feet!  As the pain manifested itself his leg was jerked and as his eyes focused in the early morning light he saw an immense hairy head, his booted foot in its mouth!

  He screamed aloud in pain and fear, kicking with his free foot at the massive head he, jerked and twisted his body, flailing about with his arms; the plastic cover over his head was torn away and fell enveloping both him and the head of the attacking bear.

  The bear momentarily startled by Nat’s yells and return attack let go of Nat’s foot and reared up onto its hind legs, dragging the plastic sheet away.  Nat scrambled onto his knees frantically searching for a weapon, for anything to defend himself with.  The knife! He snatched it from the sheath as the bear dropped onto all fours knocking Nat backwards.  The bear lunged forward partly impeded by the log that helped form the bed, Nat rolled and slashed at the thrusting head, the bear roared and hesitated as the blade cut across his upper jaw and into his gristly nose.  Nat scrambled backwards over the second log and on all fours crawled then lunged past the bear towards the fire.  The bear swiped with a clawed paw raking Nat along one side and his back, but the momentum of his lunge carried Nat past and to the edge of the fire where the hatchet lay.  In spite of the burning pain from the bear’s claws, Nat grabbed the axe, rolled on the rocks to a crouched position as the bear charged.  Nat threw himself to one side swinging the hatchet as hard as he could.  The steel blade as though guided caught the bear across one eye and deep into the flesh just below his ear.  The bear’s growls turned into a screaming roar that resounded up and down the river’s beach and as the animal paused shaking his head and trying to focus with his one good eye, Nat jumped to the fire, grabbed a burning stick and thrust it into the bear’s face.  The bear swatted out striking past the stick and hitting Nat full on his extended arm.  The force of the blow sent Nat reeling and he went down backwards striking his head on a rock, he lost consciousness.

  The bear’s roars subsided and a sound almost like a whimper came from deep in his throat.  He stared with his good eye at Nat’s prone body, started towards it, paused and suddenly raised its head looking towards the pond.  Its hackles rose then it turned and in a lumbering gait ran into the nearby bush crashing away as though in a panic.

  Time passed, the sun rose into a sky almost devoid of cloud.  Nat lay where he had fallen, the sand and rocks stained with blood from his body and head; flies gathered feasting on the congealing blood.

  Late in the morning an airplane flew down the Fort Nelson River, turned abruptly and followed up the Liard.  The small tendrils of smoke from the dying campfire went unseen by the plane’s occupants and it flew on by.

  Still later, Nat groaned and opened his eyes blinking into the sun; he raised one arm and covered his face, shielding it from the heat and rays beating down.  He lay there, head throbbing, his back and right side on fire, his right arm numb and his left foot aching.  ‘What happened, why am I here, where’s here? Christ I hurt all over.’  Slowly the events of the night trickled back then suddenly the whole terror of the attack flooded his memory and in spite of the pain he sat bolt up right and looked around.  The scattered wood, the hatchet beside him, the knife lying beside a rock, the plastic sheet fluttering beside his bed all brought back those few moments of the encounter.