The Footprint Page 3

plump body supported by bare pink legs.  A long slender neck rose above the thicket.  Above it rose a round head with yellow eyes and a beak.  It was an ostrich; the ostrich from the zoo.  Samuel let out a deep breath.  It wasn’t a dromaeosaur.  He sighed.  At least he wasn’t going to be eaten.  Then he remembered the deer.

  Something else was rustling in the thicket, and Samuel turned to see another creature, crouched, and creeping toward the tangled ostrich.  Samuel squinted.  The creature’s ears flattened as it slinked toward them.  It was tawny and grey in color, and it was big.  Samuel shuddered as the mountain lion leaped into the clearing.  It paced in front of the helpless ostrich.  Samuel, spear in hand, stood to face the lion.  It hissed and spun toward Samuel. Samuel braced himself, hands clenching his sharpened stick as he waited for the animal to charge.

  He fought the urge to run away, knowing that he could never outrun the large cat. Behind him, something else entered the clearing.  Samuel did not dare to take his eyes off of the lion.  He waited for the second creature to pounce, but it spoke instead, and in a familiar accent.

      “Samuel, hold still.”

  Mr. Wallace stood in the clearing, slowly approaching the lion.  His hand slipped to his belt and retrieved a red-feathered tranquilizer dart.  He slid the dart into the breech of his  tranquilizer gun and raised the stock to his shoulder.  The dart hissed out of the barrel to glance off of the mountain lion’s thick shoulder.  Mr. Wallace immediately snapped in another dart as he raised the barrel toward the cat.  The lion hissed and leaped at Mr. Wallace, knocking the tranquilizer gun out of his hands, and scattering the darts in the dirt.

  The man lay pinned beneath the snarling cat as it tore at him with its razor claws.  The panicked ostrich continued to shriek, and Samuel stood frozen in terror.  Mr. Wallace held the beast’s neck inches from his face.  He managed to kick the tranquilizer gun in Samuel’s direction.          

  “Samuel!”

  Samuel stood watching as Mr. Wallace struggled under the weight of the mountain lion.  The boy leaped forward to seize the weapon and raise it to his shoulder.  He looked down the barrel at the struggling mass of man and cat.

  “Fire, Samuel, Fire!”

  Samuel closed his eyes and squeezed the trigger.

  The dart flew forward and landed squarely in Mr. Wallace’s thigh.  The old hunter grunted and glared at Samuel.  As he weakened, the cat’s jaws crept closer to the old hunter’s face.  Samuel scrambled to pick up another tranquilizer dart.  He fumbled with the weapon, and stuck the needle into the back of his hand.  He dropped the rifle and felt the ground for his spear.  The pointed stick struck the cat on its rump and bounced off harmlessly.

  The cat snapped at Samuel, who stumbled back into the frantic ostrich.  As Samuel collapsed into the tangled branches, the bird broke free and stampeded toward the tunnel, slamming into the lion and Mr. Wallace.  The cat rolled to its feet and crouched, slinking toward Samuel, who was still lying on his back, tangled in thorns, with a tranquilizer dart sticking in his hand.  As the cat neared his face, Samuel shuddered as he breathed in its horrific cat breath.  Then he noticed a strange red feather protruding from the mountain lion’s neck, and everything was dark.

  “Wake up Samuel.”  Samuel opened his eyes to see Aunt Nancy standing over him with a plate of steaming, buttery pancakes.  Mr. Wallace stood next to her, covered in bandages and holding his old leather hat.  Ted, Paul, and Chip stood clustered in the cabin doorway.  Mr. Wallace slapped the old hat on Samuel’s head.  Samuel smiled and nodded, he wanted to thank Mr. Wallace, but his mouth was already full of pancakes.

  Other titles by Nathanael Green:

  https://www.amazon.com/Nathanael-Green/e/B00HERVRRM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

  The Boyhood Adventures Collection

  The Pirates of Lake Michigamme:

  When their grandfather tells tales of pirates and monsters, three boys search for treasure on a small Michigan lake.

  Truth and Dare:

  A lonely Simon endures embarrassing encounters with a girl at camp. When his friends pressure him into a game of truth or dare, Simon must decide whether to risk exposing his feelings for the girl, or accept a dare that may get him kicked out of camp.

  The Footprint:

  Samuel follows the footprints of a dangerous creature that does not belong in Michigan. When his friends abandon him, Samuel must pursue his discovery on his own.

  The Spider and the Princess (A Children’s Folktale)

  When Princess Charlotte is scared by a spider, the princess pardons the spider from being squished. When her pet piglet is abducted by a dysfunctional Ogre couple, the spider joins her in a daring quest to rescue her beloved piglet.

  Jack’s Isle (A Fantasy Adventure)

  When a hot air balloon at a fair takes off unexpectedly, a little boy is caught flying above the ocean all alone. When Jack’s balloon crash lands on a mysterious island filled with prehistoric creatures, Jack must muster his cunning and courage to survive. Jack soon encounters terrifying enemies as well as some unlikely friends: a vine with a mind of its own, and an allosaurus hatchling that was supposed to be an omelet. As Jack struggles for survival, he must protect his companions while he searches for the strength to keep going, and a way to return home.

  Court and Parish (A Tale of the Old West)

  not suitable for young readers

  Part 1: Gideon’s Fleece

  Sheldon Court is arrested after a deadly shootout in the local saloon. His sentence: signing on as Marshal Parish’s new deputy. After falling for the marshal’s beautiful and spiteful daughter, Sheldon suspects that the marshal is intentionally putting him in harm’s way. When the two lawmen pursue a band of ruthless killers, each of them has a decision to make.

  Part 2: Jael’s Stake

  When murderous bandits lead the local posse to a neighboring town, Gilead is left defenseless. Only Court and Parish are left to contend with the bandits after they’ve unwittingly left their best firearms with Lucy Mae.

  Part 3: Eve’s Curse

  Marshal Parish pursues four outlaws, while Sheldon and Lucy Mae prepare to have a child. While seeking a doctor, Sheldon and Lucy Mae stumble upon the same band of outlaws. While the marshal is critically injured in the wilderness, Sheldon is forced to seek the outlaws’ assistance while also trying to protect his wife and unborn child.

  Cover Art by LollyMarie Photography