Free Hunted Past Reason by Richard Matheson Page A

nylon rope from his pack. He tossed one of the bags to Bob. "Put your food in there," he said. "They're called stuff packs. For an obvious reason, I guess."
    He was finished filling and tying up his pack before Bob. Taking hold of the rope, he coiled it and began tossing the end of it at an oak limb about twenty feet above them. On the third try, he got the rope end over the branch so that it hung down in two lengths in front of them.
    "You notice I'm putting the rope about ten feet from the trunk," he said. "Not that that'll stop a really acrobatic bear but it's better than hanging the bags close to the trunk."
    He chuckled. "I've never seen it myself but some guy I met once told me that he saw a mother bear stand on her hind feet and her cub stand on her shoulders, trying to knock down a food bag."
    "No," Bob said incredulously.
    "That's what the guy told me."
    Bob laughed. "What a sight that must have been."
    Doug nodded, chuckling again. "That's for sure," he said. "Like some greaser kid trying to knock down a pinñata."
    Greaser kid, Bob thought, frowning. Just how prejudiced was Doug? They'd never had a conversation revealing it in any way. Was that because Marian was almost always there?
    Tying his bag to one end of the rope now, Doug pulled it up close to the limb. Then, taking Bob's sack, he tied it to the other length of the rope, reaching up as high as he could and looping up the excess rope. Bob noticed that there was a monofilament line on that end of the rope. "What's that for?" he asked.
    "In case there isn't a stick or a branch to pull them down," Doug said. He tossed the bag with Bob's food in it up toward the limb. The other bag dropped down so that both bags now hung about twelve feet from the ground.
    "That should do it," Doug said, "unless a twelve-foot bear comes by."
    "If it does, I'll have died of a heart attack long before it can get our food," Bob said.
    Doug snickered. "You and Marian," he said. "Oh, before I forget. Cover your pack with your pack cover in case it rains. And make sure you leave the pockets open so mice and raccoons can check them out without chewing their way in."
    "Anything else we can expect?" Bob asked. "A pack of coyotes maybe?"
    Doug only shook his head. "A backpacker you will never be," he said solemnly.
    That's for damn sure, Bob thought.
    "Take anything into the tent you might need during the night," Doug told him. "Flashlight, water bottle, toilet paper, et cetera."
    As they started for the tent, Doug reached up and broke off a small branch hanging above its entrance.
    "Aren't you despoiling Mother Nature now?" Bob joshed him.
    Doug didn't seem to get it. "Would you rather have your eye poked out if you get up to piss during the night?" he asked, tossing aside the branch.
    Bob watched as Doug clambered into the tent, carrying his bow and arrow holder.
    "In case of Indian attack?" he said.
    Again, Doug didn't seem to get it— or chose not to get it— as a joke. "Bear," was all he said.
    "Doug, you keep on mentioning bears," Bob said as he crawled into the tent. "How likely are we to see one?"
    "They like to prowl around at night," Doug told him. "But as long as there's no smell of food around the tent, they'll usually move on."
    "Usually?" Bob asked.
    "Don't worry about it," Doug said, "I've never had a problem with one yet. Except for the time one of my buddies got eaten by one."
    "What?" Bob looked at him, aghast.
    Bob laughed. "Jesus," he said, "you and Marian are two of a kind. Real worriers."
    Bob drew in a shaky breath. "I presume that was a joke then."
    "You presume right, sir," Doug answered with a dead-on imitation of Ed McMahon.
    That was his idea of a joke, Bob thought as he put aside the articles he'd brought with him, slid his way into the sleeping bag, and zipped it up. He was glad that Doug had told him not to sleep in his clothes. He did feel more comfortable in a clean pair of long underwear after washing himself off with some of the towelettes Marian had