River of Mercy Read Online Free PDF Page B

they were called around here—weren’t known for attacking people. They were more elusive and sometimes downright shy. This big fellow, however, looked anything but timid.
    He could also be rabid, and then all bets were off. Still, rabies was rare among the big cats. Gant held the lantern up and out a little, not liking the way it flickered from the slight trembling of his hand. It was too dark to tell much about the creature other than his intimidating size. His coat looked to be gray with dark spots. He would be fairly young because the spots hadn’t faded yet. Black bars wrapped his forelegs like mourning bands.
    The cat gave another low growl, but somehow Gant didn’t feel threatened. The sound seemed almost halfhearted, as though he’d been judged and deemed not worthy of any real attention. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the creature had yawned at that point. Clearly, he was a lot more impressed with the cat than the cat was with him. And despite that menacing stare, Gant did find him impressive. He was an intimidating but handsome animal.
    He had the oddest feeling the animal was waiting for him to leave. After another moment, and keeping the lantern high and well in front of him, he started to back away. Slow steps, carefully, quietly, taking his time. The cat’s gaze held steady, watching his every move.
    Finally, when he was almost convinced the creature wasn’t going to lunge and run him to the ground, Gant turned his back on the cat and started down the hill toward the house. He resisted the urge to turn and look back, intent on feigning indifference.
    Unnerved and still a bit shaken from the encounter, he wasted no time going inside and throwing the bolt on the back door, inordinately glad for Mac’s loud and eager greeting.
    â€œMake all the noise you want, pal,” he said, stooping to rub the big hound’s ears. “We’ve got company out there, and I’d just as soon he knows I’m not alone.”
    He straightened and went to get the beef bone he’d left on the stove after supper. With Mac watching his every move, Gant put the bone on the rug by the back door and gave a nod, at which point the dog licked it indifferently a few times as if to show a lack of interest. Only when Gant walked over to the sink and began washing the supper dishes did the hound snatch up the bone in his powerful jaws and begin to attack it.
    When the dishes were done, Gant was still too keyed up to sleep. He took his fiddle out of the cabinet and played for a solid hour. He stopped twice to listen for any sound coming from outside, but he heard nothing. Yet somehow he sensed their visitor hadn’t moved on.

    Later that night Gant heard its screech. From his place beside the bed, Mac stirred and gave a low growl. The chilling sound clearly came from somewhere close by, yet Gant felt no real threat at the cat’s presence.
    He lay completely still, listening, but it didn’t call out again. Finally, he fell into a fitful, restless sleep, only to dream about a creature with a large, whiskered face and black-tufted ears pacing back and forth on the hill behind the house, keeping watch.

5
M ISSING R ACHEL
    I had a beautiful friend
And dreamed that the old despair
Would end in love in the end.
    W.B. Y EATS
    B y four o’clock Gant gave up trying to sleep. He’d tossed and twisted for hours, so he decided he might just as well make some coffee and start work early.
    Mac stirred and lifted his head with a grumpy look as Gant lighted the lantern. “No need for you to get up too, lazybones. Go on back to sleep.”
    The big dog needed no coaxing. With a somewhat exaggerated sigh, he turned over and was snoring again before Gant was out of the room.
    In the kitchen, he set the lantern on the table and looked out the window. There was nothing to be seen. No doubt their night visitor was long gone. All the same, he didn’t step outside the door to brace