U. is for The Mountain Girl (Chapt.5)

The Mountain Girl
Chapter (5)
Beth's Encounter

Beth walked down to the lake. She set down on the ground, and threw her
fishing line out. She said, "here fishy, fishy, I have a snack for you,
a big juicy worm!" Beth looked down at the fishing line dangling in the
water, just as she, raised her head. She noticed something red sticking
out of the bushes.
Beth decided to go check it out. She tied her fishing line to a
twig.
She slowly moved over to the bush, and peered through, it was a baby
fox. Beth said aloud, "Oh your beautiful", as she, moved closer to
it.

The baby fox jumped up, and ran. Beth ran after it, up the hill, down
the hill. The fox would stop ever so often, and look her way. She
thought, "It wants to play a game."

Beth was getting tired, and set down on a stump. She watched the fox
run into a hollow log. Beth jumped up, and followed. She got down on
her knees, and crawled into the log. The fox ran out the other
end.

Beth decided she would lye there, and rest. She was tired, of chasing
the fox. She curled up in a ball, and drifted off to sleep.

Angel finished her coffee, and went in to wake Beth. She stepped though
the door, and called, "Beth". Angel was shocked at first to see, that
she, wasn't in bed. She thought, "Jay must have decided to take her,
with them, this morning." Angel strode back into her bedroom, and made
her bed. She took the clothes down that she had washed. She folded
them, and placed them, in the dresser drawers.

Angel tided up Jess, and Beth's rooms, and set down at the sewing
machine. She had some material packed away in a box. Jay had bought
her, when they went to town, and got married. She picked through the
material, and found what she thought, would make nice curtains for the
bedrooms. She was hard at work, when she, glanced over at the
clock.

Angel thought, "I best stop here, and make lunch. Jay, and the children
will be home soon." She was just setting the table when they, walked
in.
Jay came over, and kissed her, on the cheek.

Angel asked, "if they, got everything?" He replied, "most of it, there
were a few things we, left behind."

Jess came running in, and set down at the table.

Angel said, "Where's your sister?"

Jess shook his head, and mumbled, "I don't know."

Angel asked, "She did go with you two, didn't she?"

Jay said, "no, I told her, to get back in bed this morning!" "She isn't
here," Angel, stated! I just assumed she, went with you!"

A worried look came over Angel's face. "Calm down honey we, will find
her," Jay, responded. He told Angel, "pack, us a lunch!" "Jess" fetch,
the wagon!

"Papa!" Jess said, "look!" Jay looked where Jess, was pointing it, was
her, fishing line, tied to a twig.

Angel walked over to the edge of the water, and stared into the
lake.

Jay yelled, "Angel!" Angel, ran over to Jay, "What is it," she
asked?
He said, "here's her footprints, and they lead up the hillside."

Angel gasped, "Jay" she, is headed towards the forest. She could
possibly run upon anything. "Oh, Jay", you know how she, loves baby
animals. This time of the year, they are still with their
mothers.

Jay responded, "Well as of right now, she, is chasing a baby fox, over
there is paw prints."
Angel said, "when I, get my hands on that girl, I'm going to give her a
spanking she'll, not forget." She started to cry. Jess said, "mama,
don't cry she'll, be alright!"

Jay said, let's take the wagon home, and get our horses.

Jay told Angel, "honey I, think you, should stay here just in case she,
would come home." He gave her a kiss, and they rode off toward the
forest.

Beth woke up from her nap. She thought, "I best be getting back home
mama, and papa will be mad". She was just about to the opening, when
the baby fox, stuck its head in her, face. She started,
"giggling."

Beth set down on the ground, and it jumped in her lap. She said, "I got
to go home!" She stood up, and looked around, which way do I go?
The little fox ran ahead of her. Beth ran after it through the
woods.

Beth saw some berries, she, picked a few, and held them in her hand.
She stared at the berries! She thought, "I wonder if these are poison?
Mama had always warned her all berries; were not the same". She put one
into her mouth, she spit it out it was bitter. She said aloud, "I guess
mama was right, they're not all the same!"

Beth reached down, and picked up the fox. "I'm tired hungry, and
thirsty I, want to go home," she, stated.

The fox leaped out of her arms, and ran down the hill.

Beth jumped up, and said, "wait for me as she ran after it". Beth set
down, and slid on her behind down the steep hill.

The fox was waiting for her by a stream. Beth got down on all fours,
and drank the water. "Do you know where some food is", she, asked the
fox?
Beth looked across the stream, and spotted wild green onions. She dug
them up with her hands, and ate them. They were a little tangy but she
didn't care, she, was starved.

She told the fox, "I really like you, as she cuddled close to
it."

The fox got up, and walked away. It stopped, and looked back at
her.

Beth followed, and asked, "Where we going? Do you know where I
live?"

The fox lead her to a cave. She told the fox, "I'm not going in there
with you. I got to go home!" Beth started to cry, "I want my
mama!"

The fox came over, and looked up at her. Beth shouted, "This is all
your, fault now go away!" Beth started to yell louder; the fox took off
running. She picked up a rock, and threw it at the fox.

Jay, and Jess followed their tracks. Jess asked, "Papa, do you think we
will find Beth, before nightfall? "I sure hope so son," Jay,
replied!

Jay said, "Over there pointing toward the trees!" Well, I see she's,
getting hungry! I can see those poke berries wasn't to her liken also,
as he pointed toward the ground.

Jess asked, "Pa, aren't they poison?" Jay replied, "I sure wouldn't
eat them!" Jess said, "the fox is still with her; or maybe she's, with
the fox, and laughed." Jay glared, at Jess. Jess mumbled, "Sorry pa, I
was just making a joke."

Jay said, "I know son, I guess I'm, just a little worried." Pa, the
tracks led over that hill", Jess, said. "Jess", do you think you, can
ride Gabby, without falling over her, head the hill is steep", Jay,
asked?

Jess replied, "yes, pa I, still remember how you, told me, to slide
back on her, haunches, and hold on to her mane". Jay said, "good let's
get a going it will be dark soon!"

Jay dismounted and said, "Jess you, may be right after all!" Jess
asked, "what, do you, mean pa?" Jay replied, "that little fox lead her,
to this stream!"

Jess asked, "how do you, know pa?" It got here before Beth, and it
could have run off, Jay, responded. He put his finger on the prints; it
laid down here beside of her, while she drank the water. They, stared
at the prints, and looked at each other.

All of a sudden they heard Beth, screaming to the tops of her
lungs.

They mounded their horses, and rode towards her, screams. Jay's, heart
almost sunk. He just knew she, had run up on a cougar, or a bear. But,
he got a glimpsed of her head, her hair was sticking upward, and she
was filthy. Beth came running out of a cave with the fox on her heels.
She had been, sprayed by a skunk.

Jay, and Jess dismounted and laughed. Beth ran over their way, she
tried to hug them. Jess yelled, "stay away from me!" Beth started to
cry!

Jay picked her up, and told her, everything, "was going to be alright."
Jay couldn't get mad at her, he felt sorry for her. He thought, this
may have taught her a good lesson about animals.
Jay asked, "what, happen to you?" Beth mumbled, "I was just going to
pet it pa". Jay shook his head, and stated, "Beth we need to get you
home!" Your, mama is worried sick about you.

Beth said, "I'm sorry papa it's a long story." He told her, "well save
it, and tell it to your, mama". She muttered, "I get the point papa".
Jay thought, "you, just might when you, get home!"

Jess told her, "Beth" you are stinking me to death. She yelled, "Shut
up!" Jay said, "That's enough out of both of you!" As they rode passed
the lake he, noticed the little fox, was following them.

Jess shouted "Beth" let's call your friend Stinky. Beth said, "Ok!" "I
think that name suits all of us", Jay, stated! They roared, with
laughter.

Angel ran out of the cabin, and met them, as they came across the yard.
Jay called out to her, "you might, not want to get to close." She
smiled, and said, "I smelled you coming a mile away." Who tangled with
a skunk?

Jay pointed at "Beth." Angel said, "O, no"! "Jess" Go in the kitchen
bring me out 4 jars of tomatoes juice." Jay handed her, the
washtub.

Angel told, "Jay, and Jess to use the juice bath too! It would take the
smell off them."

Jay said, "Ok, honey as soon as we, tend to our horses."
Angel stripped Beth down, and poured the tomatoes juice over her. She
rinsed her, with cool water. Angel, scolded her, for leaving without
telling someone!

Beth mumbled, "I can explain mama!" It was his fault, pointing to the
little fox!" He came over, and leaped in Angel's lap. Beth said, "his
name, is Stinky, mama." Angel muttered, "you're right about that Beth,
and she, put her hand over her nose."

Jay came out of the barn, and said, "I see you've met Stinky". "Pa" I,
guess we, will have to share our tomato juice," Jess, stated! (To be
continued)

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