RED DEER'S CHILDRENS ADVENTURES ( PART FOURTEEN )

It was starting to get near dusk, the sand storm
was beginning to die down and so was the wind.

As Red Deer sat thinking about his next move, he
felt a presence within the passage. He stood up
watching and waiting, all of a sudden a figure
appeared from out of the dark shadows of the passage, it looked to Red Deer, like the Bear, but
as the figure got closer, he became aware that it
was a man in a Bear skin.

"Do not be afraid boy." said the stranger, "I have
brought you a warm drink." Red Deer was very nervous, "who are you?" he said.

"My name is Four Bears, I am the one who helped you
earlier." Red Deer was now even more confused than
nervous. "But I thought you were a real Bear."

"The light in the Cavern is not very good, you thought I was a real Bear, because of what I wear.
So what is your name boy?" enquired Four Bears.

"My name is Red Deer, I need to get out of this
Canyon, can you help me?"

"Now, now, I think you need to calm down and drink
this," said Four Bears...handing him the bowl.

"What is it?" said the boy, smelling the sweet aroma of the steam, coming from the bowl.

"Oh! it's just a warm drink to relax and calm you
down. But it's getting cold, so you need to drink
it now."

Red Deer took a sip, it tasted good, so he drank
some more, it started to warm him up inside, he
cupped his hands around the bowl...feeling the
warmth flow through him. "Thankyou! it tastes good."

"You need something warm to wear, stay here and I'll get you a Bear skin to put around you." Four
Bears turned and walked back down the passage way.

As Red Deer sipped the drink, he suddenly began to
feel sleepy again, he couldn't understand it, 'why
do I constantly feel tired?' he thought to himself.

While Four Bears walked back along the passage way,
his conscious started to prick him, he thought,
'what if something bad happened to Red Deer?' he
was starting to really like the boy and felt
responsible for him.

He entered the Inner Cavern, then decided to speak
with Viho. As he approached, the Chief was in deep
discussion with Yellow Bear and Hiamovi, about the
nights hunt. "Excuse me Viho, may I speak with you,
it's about the boy."

"Can't it wait?" the Chief replied, feeling slightly annoyed at being bothered with such
trivialities.

"It's just that I'm worried for his safety. If I
take him out into the Canyons at night, he could
get attacked by wild animals," pleaded Four Bears.

"Why are you so worried? he's not your problem."
Viho looked at Yellow Bear and laughed, thinking
'Four Bears is getting all sentimental.'

"Chief I do believe that the Bear is this boy's
totem, we could take him in...and give him protection."

"Oh! no," said Viho, "I decide who we take in, we
do these things in the proper way...and well you
know it."

"Well at least could you suggest a safe place to
leave him?" Four Bears was determined there had to
be another way of getting rid of the boy.

Viho thought about it, then said..."if you are
really that worried about the boy, take him to the
next camp, it will be along walk for you, but it is
your decision, tell them I sent you with the boy."

"Thankyou Chief, I will see to it straight away."
said Four Bears, with a great relief.

He went over to his sleeping quarters, found a warm
Bear skin to wrap around the boy, then he made his
way out of the Cavern and back along the passage
ways, to the Cave entrance.

As he neared the entrance, he got a shock, the boy
wasn't there. It was getting dark, Four Bears looked outside, but there was no sign of the boy
anywhere, just his bowl placed on the ground. Four
Bears was very confused.

To be continued .............