AUGUST 15, 1861

Ike and Cody were riding along when all of a sudden a bear came running across their path about ten feet ahead of them. Startled the horses reared and both Ike and Cody fell to the ground. Ike hit his head hard on a rock and laid still. Cody groaned as his back landed hard on the ground knocking the wind out of his sails.

When Cody finally got his breathing back, he got up to a sitting position and looked around. He saw the bear about 50 feet away towering over Melissa. Cody crawled over to Ike, but Ike was out cold. There was no waking him. Cody didn't have much time. He feared for Melissa's life. He pulled out his gun intending to shoot the bear. He took aim, but he just couldn't pull the trigger. If he missed, he might hit Melissa. He wasn't in a great position to just hit the bear. And what if the bear was Bart? Maybe he wouldn't hurt Melissa if he remembered Cody.

Cody shouted "Bart, Bart!" But Cody could tell that neither the bear nor Melissa had heard him.

Prankster came over and nuzzled Cody. Cody grabbed a hold of the stirrup and pulled himself to his feet. He was going to climb aboard Prankster and charge over there, but when he turned to look at Melissa and the bear, it seemed that the bear had got closer to her. Prankster was a loyal horse and wouldn't ride off and leave him, but there was no way that he would get close to a bear. Without thinking Cody moved his left foot a little. He hadn't realized it before but his legs ached from the fall. He moved his right foot, and he was standing on his own. His legs hurt, but he was elated that he could actually feel them. He could tolerate the pain knowing that he could feel and move his legs again.

Cody started walking and then he began running towards Melissa shouting at Bart. At least he hoped it was Bart!

The bear turned and saw Cody approaching. Too afraid to move, Melissa couldn't see Cody, but she could hear him. Her fear subsided a little. Cody would save her. She just knew he would.

Running in from another direction, Melissa saw another man heading her way. Hopefully somebody would save her. The man took a red bandana out of his pocket and started waving it in the air and hollering at the bear. "Bart, Bart, No Bart!" Bart turned and looked at the man with the light red hair, but then he quickly returned his attention back to the young girl.

Before Cody or the other man could make it to Melissa, Bart struck. His paw came swooshing down. Cody and the other man stopped running and watched the scene.

Bart's paw hit the target in the head and sent the object sailing through the air. Melissa collapsed.

The red haired man made it to Melissa's side first, and as Cody approached, the man stated, "She's feinted." Cody nodded and then looked at Bart who was sitting back on his haunches watching them.

"Thanks Bart. Thank you." Cody smiled at the bear as Bart nodded his head. Cody watched as the snake slithered off. He was glad that Bart had been there. He might not have made it in time. The snake could have struck and bit Melissa, but Bart had saved her.

The man patted Melissa in the face, and she began to stir awake. "Melissa are you alright?" Cody bent down to examine her.

"I'm fine Cody." She stood up to prove her point. But she felt dizzy and almost fell back down, but the man caught her in his arms.

"What's wrong?" Cody was very concerned.

"Have you ate anything today?" The man inquired. Melissa shook her head. "I think because you have an empty stomach and because you were afraid that you just feinted. You're probably light-headed because you haven't ate anything."

"I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday at lunch time." Melissa said.

"Ike!" Cody said and he turned around and started heading back the way he had come. The man, Melissa and Bart followed. As they all stood in front of Ike, he was trying to sit up. Cody helped him. "How ya feelin', Ike?" Cody took off his bandana and wrapped it around the bleeding portion of Ike's head.

"Lets get them back to my cabin. We can fix him up and have some grub." The man said. Cody nodded. "I'll get the horses. Ike can you ride." Cody turned back just in time to see Ike nod a little. As Ike started to stand, the man and Melissa helped him to his feet.

Cody brought the horses over. "I'll return the favor, Ike." Cody helped Ike mount Shyster. "You ride with Ike. Melissa you can ride with me." Cody mounted and then pulled Melissa on up behind him. The man clambered up behind Ike.

"Cody, you're walking." Melissa stated as they took off.

"Yeah, I am." Cody turned and grinned at Melissa. She grinned back. There were lots of questions she wanted to ask him, but they could wait. Right now all she wanted to do was eat something. Her stomach started to grumble. It wasn't far to the cabin, and along the way Cody picked up Braids reins and led her along with them.

At the cabin they all ate some stew and bread, and the man that they learned was Curtis Hammertree, son of the old man that had raised Bart from a cub, bandaged Ike's head. Curtis had been back a few months and had discovered his pa's grave. Cody told Curtis what had happened to his pa, and Curtis was thankful that Cody had been there to aid his old man.

Curtis hitched up a wagon and put some blankets down in the back of the wagon. Ike lay down while Cody sat in the back of the wagon. Curtis sat in the driver's seat with Melissa beside him. With Braids, Prankster and Shyster tied to the back of the wagon, they headed for Dreamville. Curtis had told Bart that he was leaving, but he would be back in a few days. Melissa thought Bart looked sad because they were leaving and asked if Bart could come with them, but the fellas didn't think that was a very good idea. So Melissa had to accept the fact that Bart wasn't going with them.