Uncle Ned

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Sensitive nose snuffing and eyes and ears attuned to everything that made a sound or moved in her natural habitat, the great burly bear moved gracefully through her territory on silent padded feet. She was not hungry, her nearly insatiable appetite for once satisfied. Food was abundant; brambles drooped with sweet berries; lightning-blazed hollow trees dripped with honey, and the numerous streams boiled with darting trout. The furry mother-to-be was content.

Suddenly, the feared man-scent was strong in her nostrils. With the appearance of horse and rider on the crest of the ridge, she stood still and watched. They seemed harmless, unaware of her presence and of no present danger. Then, once again, her wide nostrils rankled with a fresh scent – another animal had entered her domain!

From the security of a nearby granite niche, a pair of tawny eyes surveyed the ridge. Nose wrinkling above half-snarling lips, the great cat sorted out the scents; the hated smell of humans, horses, and stronger, the odor of bear. The mountain lion swished its tail angrily and emitted a low growl.

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