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You would have thought that if one of the guys didn’t come back the rest would go searching for the guy. It didn’t mater because it just meant that they either had a little too much of a buzz or didn’t care or best yet “to stupid”.

By midnight they had most of them gagged and tied and where asleep. Of course Ben and Jerry took everything from the guys to see if useable or indemnification. It turned out that at least half of them had a gun of some kind. By 4 A.M. they had them all tied up and disarmed and gagged and hanging from trees.

In the morning Ben took his motorcycle and drove to the phone and dialed 911. With in 45 minutes there were a couple officers putting cuffs on the guys.

Jerry and Ben told the officers that at least one was wanted and has a poster in the police station. Then they handed the weapons and the wallets the guys where carrying. Then they gave a full report on the whole situation and why they where there.

One of the officers told the boys that they better pack it up and head on home.

Jerry said why everyone camps here at one time or another. We didn’t break any laws I just came out here to clear my head and get some rest.

The officer said well this area is now a crime seen and we don’t want things messed up.

Ben jumped in and said will move on because we don’t want to get in anymore trouble and then thanked them for coming.

Jerry on the other hand turned and gave Ben a look of we just got here, but said nothing.

After everyone was gone Jerry told Ben that they had only been there 2 days and now we’re heading home?

Ben said of course we will be heading home but not today or tomorrow. I just told the officer that we would pack it up and leave but I didn’t tell him when I would pack it up. We can set up camp further up stream. I saw a place that looked a little nicer and it had Ben used before.

Jerry gave Ben a pat on the back and said what a friend.

Sense they really didn’t get any sleep they moved camp climbed into their sleeping bags and crashed for a few hours and then got up and went fishing again. They didn’t keep any they just wanted something to do.

The next day they decided to hike up to the mountain top to see what was on the other side.

Jerry said that’s a long way up there are you sure we can make it.

Ben chuckled and said at least we can try.

They thought if they would take a light load so it wouldn’t get to tired and be able to enjoy it. The problem they had been that what they thought wasn’t it was kind of a hill and kept on going up to the top. They didn’t care it was just something to do.

They finally stopped to get their bearings and see how far they had come. After talking it over they figured that they had gone up a couple thousand feet in elevation and had walked about three miles.

Something they didn’t think about was it started to get a little chilly. Even though it was late August being up that high it would get a little chilly. They put on there light coats and kept on going.

About 3 P.M. Ben turned around to look out over the valley and figured they where close it the top. But coming from the north they saw dark clouds had just started to blocked the sun and it looked like they where going to get rained on. But they where up so high the clouds might go under them. When the clouds got closer they knew they where going to get wet but it didn’t rain it snowed and snowed.

Jerry said we better head back on down before we get stuck up here.

They turned around and the path that they where on was gone, no trace of it but just three inches of snow. It was really snowing hard now and there was about a foot on the ground. Ben stepped on a rock and slipped and landed on his rear, but he was ok. Ben said we better not try going down until the snow stops, even if we have to stay here all night.

Jerry said lets see use the snow for a shelter and see if snow cave really works. But they where having trouble trying to find a flat area to make there cave.

The wind started picking up and the snow was going sideways now. That wasn’t good because no mater what they tried to build the wind would blow it away. A foot and a half of snow was on the ground now and the wind was really blowing harder than before.

Ben said there’s a big pine tree over there and the ground under it only has a little bit of snow.

There was a large bolder on the north side of the tree which acted like a natural beerier from the snow.  The bolder was also blocking the wind from coming under the tree, and if they could build some side walls from snow it would be a good shelter.

Both Ben and Jerry started working on the only shelter and they didn’t have any problems with there walls blowing away. Ben was looking at the ground under the tree and found several branches so they used a few big ones to support the walls of snow. Jerry was looking for other tree branches and was planning to get some fire going.

After about an hour working on their shelter their fingers where numb and Ben had the chills, they needed to get some warmth fast. Jerry had a lighter so they would be able to start the fire. Ben scraped what snow was on the ground away till he got to some pine needles and made a small pile of it. Then he placed small pieces of the wood that Jerry had gotten on top of the needles. Then Ben tried to light a fire, but the lighter wasn’t working.

Ben started to panic but Jerry put the lighter to his ear and he could hear the gas hissing. So that meant that the flint was wet.

Jerry got out a piece of TP and stuck it in where the flint was and tried to dry it. Ben tried it again and got some sparks so he pushed the lever down and hit the flint at the same time and there was a flam but the wind blew it out. So Ben bent down and cupped his hands around the lighter to block any wind and touched it to the pine needles and they started to burn. And before long they had a nice little fire going.

Now they could work more on there shelter as long as they had a fire to get them warm. Another hour and there shelter was as good as it was going to get and they moved the fire closer to the shelter.

Jerry smiled and said he was tried and needed to go to sleep but he didn’t have a sleeping bag.

Ben said I made a couple of blankets so I’m sure with some pine needles you can make a nice bed. Then Ben pulled out a bunch and cut strips of tree limb and wove them till there was a patch big enough to cover a person. He handed it to Jerry and told him to try it out.

Jerry had made a real nice nest with pine needles and put the blanket over him and 5 minutes later he was asleep. Ben collected all the wood he could find, so that there was enough to keep the fire going for the night.

In the morning when they woke the sun was shining and there was 3 foot drifts all over the place but they didn’t want to be stuck out there for another night. Also during the night it was one thing not to be able to see and relying on a stick or your feet to find your way.  But during the day they could see what was in front of them and there was no guess work.  

They didn’t waist any time on heading down the mountain where they could some food. They made sure their hiking stick was with them at all times so that they could test cracks or hollow places. So if there was a spot that was covered by snow their hiking sticks would be find out if it was safe to stepped there.

They had to take it slow at first till they got down out of the snow. But once they where out of the snow, they went as fast, as they dared.

When they got into camp they hurried and ate a good meal and decided to try and get a little sleep.

They came out to the tent real groggy and were just about to get a campfire going. When all of a sudden there was a voice behind them telling them to raise their hands. They did as instructed and turned around.

Jerry recognized instantly, as the other guy in the attempted robbery.

Ben asked who are you and what do you want?

Jerry said this is the other guy I told you about. But I thought he was with the bunch that the police took with the rest of his buddies.

The guy gave a laugh in mockery over that statement and said those guys where so stupid. I told them to lay off the beer till after you 2 where caught, but they didn’t listen, and so they are in jail and not me. I stayed in the car, and then when I heard the commotion I looked up and didn’t see any of my guys. So I figured you had surprised them and tied them up one at a time.

I slipped out of the car and went down the road till I found a shack and spent the night there. In the morning I went back to your camp and you weren’t there and neither was my guys. So I waited and thought how I was going to get the upper hand on you guys and you gave it to me when you went in for a nap.

Ben asked do you really want our deaths over your head.

The guy said doesn’t matter because if I go before a judge I’ll be a three time looser. I go up for life this time and there are a few old inmates that will be glad to see me. Because I owe them money and they won’t make things pretty for me, if you know what I mean.

Jerry said you must have hated your mother or something.

The guy laughed again and said I never knew my parents I was raised by my aunt and uncle. And every day I was told that my parents where no good and my aunt would haul me off to her church every Sunday, weather I was sick or not. When I turned 14 I had, had enough. One night I snuck into there bedroom while they where asleep and took both their wallets. There wasn’t much cash but the credit cards got me about 4 thousand dollars before one ATM said there was a problem and kept the card. That was ok because I had enough to get me started in my line of work. You don’t trust anyone and it’s always you first, and then your buddies second.

So Ben said you believed your aunt and uncle about your parents and then you robbed them. I bet you still hate them and wish you could steel from them again.

Ben was trying to keep his attention because he saw Jerry working on the tent rope with his foot, and hoped it would cause a distraction.

It did the trick and Ben sung into action. Ben with a round house and a swift kick knocked the gun out of his hand. But the gun went off when Ben hit the guys hand, and he didn’t see where the bullet went. But he didn’t stop he worked on the guy till he was out cold.

When Ben straightened up he saw Jerry lying on the ground. Ben ran to his side and saw blood coming out of Jerry’s left shoulder. Ben tore Jerry’s shirt open to see if he could do something. There was a lot of blood and Ben figured it must have hit an artery and so he put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

After a few minutes the bleeding had stopped but Jerry had lost a lot of blood and he needed to get him to a hospital as fast as he could. Ben had heard of an idea that had helped in saving other lives. He found a stick and scrapped the skin off the stick so that he had a smooth surface around the stick. Ben was trying to hold stomach down he had to do this, and repeated to him self I am helping him not hurting him. Then he took the stick and shoved it into the wound in front until it went through the other side in back. It was luck that the bullet went all the way through then packed it with gauss.

Ben heard the guy start to move and so he ran over to the guy and hogtied him. Then he put jerry in the motorcycle trailer and took off. He made it to the country story where he ran inside.

No one was in the store except the woman who ran it, and said, friend has been shot.

A woman went outside with Ben and asked, “What can I do to help”.

Ben said, call 911 and get someone out here fast he has lost a lot of blood. Ben looked at the wound again to make sure Jerry hadn’t started bleeding again. The woman came out and told Ben they where on there way, but to Ben they couldn’t get there soon enough.

When the police got there Ben told them that a guy was hogtied back at their camp and he was the one who shot Jerry.

The police officer said they would take care of that guy you go with your friend and we’ll meet you at the hospital.

Ben could hear Jerry start to moan and when he looked at him there was very little color in his face. Ben tried saying a prayer for his best buddy but he didn’t know how to pray other than maybe blessing the food. He had gone to church every Sunday but he hadn’t paid attention to what was said.

The woman from the store came over and said your friend will be ok but to make sure let’s say a prayer for him now. As the woman said a prayer they could hear a siren in the distance. When she had finished the ambulance had just pulled up.

They jumped out of the truck and started working on Jerry one of the men put an I V in his arm while the other took vitals.

Ben said he wanted to go with his friend but the men said no they needed to work on his friend and that he would be in the way.

Ben unhitched the trailer and asked the woman if he could leave it there.

The woman said sure I’ll keep an eye on it for you.

Ben didn’t have much trouble staying up with the ambulance till they got into the city.  Where he had to obey the signals, but the ambulance was close to the hospital and with the signs pointing the way he made it. He ran inside, and asked a nurse where his friend was. The nurse said we need to get some information about your friend first but you won’t be able to go in there until the doctors say so. Besides its late and while your calling his parents I’ll make sure a cot is set up for you in the waiting room.

In the morning was wakened by his parents and Jerry’s parents, but it took Ben a minute to realize where he was. He sat up and started telling them what had happened, when a doctor came in and told them that Jerry was going to be OK.

It was a close call but if it hadn’t been for Ben, Jerry probably wouldn’t be with us today. But I just want him to rest for 2 days, and then you can take him home. He will need some help getting around the first couple of days, and then I would let him tell you what he’s up to doing.

Jerry’s mom asked can we go in and see him.

The doctor said only two at a time, but yes you can.

 The sheriff had just arrived and started talking with Ben. He took down all the information about what had happened out at Ben’s and Jerry’s campsite.

Ben told the sheriff how they where able to get the drop on all those guys and tie them up.

The sheriff said well what you told my officers, is true about those guys. I don’t know if you are the smartest kids or if those guys where real dumb, but anyway there is an award for the capture of a couple of them.

Ben said I wasn’t looking for an award but I do know how to spend some of it.

Two weeks later Jerry and Ben, where enjoying there foot long hotdog, at a hockey game with a couple of dates.

The End