It was a cold night at the campsite and the wind made it hard to hear. But Bib could hear the front flaps whipping against each other. Bib got up and walked across the pitch black hut and outside into the night. He was attacked by the forceful wind and was almost knocked over. Slowly, Bib made his way to the fire and sat on a log, the wind at his back. Bib recognized the chief’s quiet but deep voice conversing with another man.
Bib sometimes felt that he was invisible. He would be with his tribe and no one would talk to him but Bib would stand around silently listening. In this way he found out useful information.
So there he was warming himself up, unintentionally eavesdropping on the chief and a man that Bib deducted to be the head hunter, Meham.
“The animals have been disturbed by the Otahaff’s seasonal hunting trip that has just finished. So the surviving animals have migrated up towards the mountain.”
“So you are suggesting a hunting trip?”
“Yes I am, I hear from the oracle that this winter will be long and harsh. So before the animals go into hibernation, we should stock up on meat.”
“I agree. I will gather the best hunters of the tribe and prepare them for a hunting trip.”
This hunting trip was just another reminder to Bib about how he was a failure. The hunters were admired and praised for providing food. Bib knew he would never be a hunter for he could not see. He felt left out and disconnected from the rest of the tribe. He wasn’t allowed to do anything on his own.
On the day before the trip, the hunters prepared their bow and arrows and packed for a week in the wild. Bib sat near the hunters and helped out with random preparations. He was once asked to sharpen an arrow. Bib took the arrow in his hands and felt it. He imagined the feeling of this arrow piercing his heart. He heard the cheers of the hunters and the moaning of the animals. Bib felt angry. He hated the idea of hunting it made him jealous and weak at the same time.
The next morning, Bib followed the hunters into the woods. He wasn’t sure what the reason was for this but it made him feel good listening to the hunters whispering and be able to feel the excitement. Bib followed a good amount behind the hunters but he could easily hear where they were going. The paths seem to be well traveled and all Bib had to do was be quiet. Bib planned on following the hunters the whole time he would sleep near them and at night take some left over food.
Bib woke up in the middle of the night and silently made his way to the fire. He felt around for the basket of food. When he found it he reached in to see what he could find. After eating the leftovers, Bib quietly followed the warm air to the dying embers of the fire he sat there thinking. Why had he come on the trip he thought? What was he going to do? All Bib wanted was to fit in. So later when Bib was making his was back to the hiding spot to wait for morning, he stepped on a piece of wood which Bib realized was a bow. He found an arrow nearby. Bib held these two things in his hands and sat down. After a few minutes of imagining himself shooting the arrow into an animal and being cheered on by the hunters he heard a noise. He jumped over a nearby rock and squatted there, bow and arrow in hand. He heard rustling of leaves and thumping on the ground. Bib suddenly was worried when he realized that he had left the food basket open. The whole forest of animals could probably smell the food. Then Bib heard the Indians waking up and realizing what danger they were in. Bib came out of his hiding spot- he had to help. Once in the view of the Indians, now angered with Bib as well as fearing the bear, Bib heard a load growl to the left of him. Then he heard feet pounding closer and closer to him. The thumps were shaking the ground and Bib could almost see where bear was. As he turned towards the bear he placed the image of the bear right in front of him and pulled back the string on the bow and much as he could then with a steady hand, released the arrow. Bib heard the arrow piercing the skin of the bear and felt a huge thump as the bear fell with a struggle.
Now his tribe was cheering as a few Indians surrounded the bear to finish killing the beast. No one seemed to notice the food basket being open for the tribe honored Bib and appreciated him for his services. From that day on Bib was included in all of the hunting trips and designated as the look out boy and the boy who could sense the presence of animals.
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