Bella's Story by W. Bruce Cameron

Author:W. Bruce Cameron
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

15

The men picked up their sacks and put them on their backs. It did not look like there would be any more fish. Humans are wonderful and they can always find food, but sometimes they don’t understand how much a dog can eat.

They did not put me on a leash or call me, but the way they looked at me suggested that they wanted me to follow them. I got in line behind them, and soon we were back on a path.

But they were walking in the wrong direction, away from where I needed to go. Away from Lucas.

I felt torn inside. I needed to do Go Home. But that fish had been so good …

I followed the men.

We walked and walked and then crossed a small stream. The breeze drifting over the water brought me the scent of Big Kitten. She was nearby.

The men did not seem to notice her. People are like that. They often don’t seem to realize when something marvelously smelly is right there. They’ll walk past the most amazing odors without pausing.

That is why every person should have a dog with them. We don’t miss such things.

Just as the light began to fade from the sky, the men and I reached a place where a truck was parked. Little cloth dens had been set up, and I could smell the men on them. This was a place they had been before.

There was a big plastic box, too, and the men opened it up and took food out of it. Food!

There were brown bottles that they clinked together and a sack of bread and a big plastic package with ham inside it. Ham! Wonderful ham! I did Sit over and over, and they laughed and fed me piece after piece.

I loved ham very much.

Something happened to me as I fed, though. As my hunger faded, my longing for Lucas grew. The need for food had pushed away my need for Lucas, and now the need for Lucas was pushing back. I decided that very soon, Big Kitten and I would be back to doing Go Home.

I just wanted a little bit more of that ham.

Furry Face reached out and took hold of my collar with one hand while he gave me a piece of ham with the other. “Let’s see,” he said, and gave the collar a tug so that it slid off over my ears.

“Her name’s Bella. Hey, Bella, you like ham, huh?” he said. “Want some more?”

“Is there a phone number?” the man with the sticks asked.

“Yep. We can call when we get somewhere with decent reception.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want to take her to a shelter. She’s a good girl. Bella, you’re a good girl, right?”

I wagged. I liked these men. They knew my name and understood that if I did Sit it was important to give me ham.

“That cougar was amazing, huh?” Shirt Man said. “I never saw one before.”

“Looked like a cub to me. That’s even more rare,” said Stick Man. “I’ve never seen coyotes before, either.

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