Read Online Journey to Freedom by Colin Dann - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colin Dann
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path and he called in a deep rasping voice, ‘I’m coming. Don’t fret, Delia. I’m coming!’
The badger froze, then took to his heels as the man clattered into the barn, brandishing a long-handled broom at the intruder. It wasn’t sufficiently light yet for the honey badger to be identified as the alien that hewas in the English countryside. The herdsman merely saw a black and white animal scooting past him and mistook him for his native European relative who was no stranger in that part of the world.
‘Come to pinch her milk, have you?’ the man shouted, voicing a belief that still persists in some areas. Ratel felt a thump on his rear and he darted away with a squeal.
‘Ah! You didn’t like that! Well, don’t come back!’ The herdsman turned to settle the cow and her calf down after their scare, and the honey badger ran back to the thorn hedge where he lost no time in climbing back to the other side. Lorna was nowhere in sight.
‘Lion! Lion! I’m going back to the forest. Where are you?’
Lorna didn’t answer. She was far away. She had reached the limit of the thorn hedge in one direction where it turned at a right-angle to lead up to the farmhouse. She paced alongside it, obstinately refusing to give up until she had found a gap.
The farmer’s wife was drawing back the bedroom curtains just as Lorna arrived. The lioness had found her gap. The hedge gave way to a gate and Lorna’s tawny head could be seen peering through the bars as the woman looked out of the window. There was a shriek and a stammered cry. The woman pointed with a trembling finger. ‘L-look. Look there!’
The farmer rushed to the window, then hurtled downstairs with a curse. ‘Mind the children!’ he yelled behind him. He reached for his gun.
Lorna saw the woman gesticulating at the window. She knew she was at risk, but at the same time she was almost mesmerised by the ripe animal smells from the new birth in the barn. She couldn’t ignore them and they drew her forward. The next instant the farmer burst from the house, waving his arms and shouting atthe top of his voice. His gun, naturally, had been left unloaded, and he needed a few moments to arm it. Lorna backed away from the gate, snarling angrily. The man fumbled with his gun; his hands were shaking. Lorna saw her path to her intended prey was barred. For a brief moment she considered confronting the human, but instinct told her to avoid him. She turned and loped away, back along the obstructing hedge.
‘Now’s my chance,’ the farmer murmured as he snapped his shotgun shut. ‘This’ll make her smart a bit!’ He fired quickly at the retreating lioness. Lorna heard the crack of the gun and accelerated. Something whined past her ear. There was a second crack and the pellet skimmed through her back fur, slightly searing her skin. She growled and raced for the tree-line. The farmer didn’t bother to reload. He stamped back to the farmhouse and telephoned the police.
Lorna was wild with disappointment and Ratel knew it. For the first time he felt vulnerable in the lioness’s company. She had caught nothing and her eyes gleamed hungrily. In the daylight deer were difficult to stalk and the badger realised he offered an easy substitute.
‘I’ll leave you,’ he said bluntly. ‘We should get to our dens.’
Lorna didn’t answer and the smaller animal’s nerves tingled in alarm. He imagined Lorna was preparing to pounce. The badger scuttled into the brushwood to hide, wishing he hadn’t lingered under the trees when he heard the gunshots. He peeped through the clustering vegetation to see if he was being hunted. Lorna was standing and looking towards him; a small red patch showed on her back hair. She was panting, and her eyes seemed to bore into him. He shrank down, waiting for the charge.
‘Come out, Ratel. Don’t be foolish. You don’t need to hide from me,’ Lorna boomed.
‘How do I know that?’ he asked nervously.
‘Because I wouldn’t waste my
The badger froze, then took to his heels as the man clattered into the barn, brandishing a long-handled broom at the intruder. It wasn’t sufficiently light yet for the honey badger to be identified as the alien that hewas in the English countryside. The herdsman merely saw a black and white animal scooting past him and mistook him for his native European relative who was no stranger in that part of the world.
‘Come to pinch her milk, have you?’ the man shouted, voicing a belief that still persists in some areas. Ratel felt a thump on his rear and he darted away with a squeal.
‘Ah! You didn’t like that! Well, don’t come back!’ The herdsman turned to settle the cow and her calf down after their scare, and the honey badger ran back to the thorn hedge where he lost no time in climbing back to the other side. Lorna was nowhere in sight.
‘Lion! Lion! I’m going back to the forest. Where are you?’
Lorna didn’t answer. She was far away. She had reached the limit of the thorn hedge in one direction where it turned at a right-angle to lead up to the farmhouse. She paced alongside it, obstinately refusing to give up until she had found a gap.
The farmer’s wife was drawing back the bedroom curtains just as Lorna arrived. The lioness had found her gap. The hedge gave way to a gate and Lorna’s tawny head could be seen peering through the bars as the woman looked out of the window. There was a shriek and a stammered cry. The woman pointed with a trembling finger. ‘L-look. Look there!’
The farmer rushed to the window, then hurtled downstairs with a curse. ‘Mind the children!’ he yelled behind him. He reached for his gun.
Lorna saw the woman gesticulating at the window. She knew she was at risk, but at the same time she was almost mesmerised by the ripe animal smells from the new birth in the barn. She couldn’t ignore them and they drew her forward. The next instant the farmer burst from the house, waving his arms and shouting atthe top of his voice. His gun, naturally, had been left unloaded, and he needed a few moments to arm it. Lorna backed away from the gate, snarling angrily. The man fumbled with his gun; his hands were shaking. Lorna saw her path to her intended prey was barred. For a brief moment she considered confronting the human, but instinct told her to avoid him. She turned and loped away, back along the obstructing hedge.
‘Now’s my chance,’ the farmer murmured as he snapped his shotgun shut. ‘This’ll make her smart a bit!’ He fired quickly at the retreating lioness. Lorna heard the crack of the gun and accelerated. Something whined past her ear. There was a second crack and the pellet skimmed through her back fur, slightly searing her skin. She growled and raced for the tree-line. The farmer didn’t bother to reload. He stamped back to the farmhouse and telephoned the police.
Lorna was wild with disappointment and Ratel knew it. For the first time he felt vulnerable in the lioness’s company. She had caught nothing and her eyes gleamed hungrily. In the daylight deer were difficult to stalk and the badger realised he offered an easy substitute.
‘I’ll leave you,’ he said bluntly. ‘We should get to our dens.’
Lorna didn’t answer and the smaller animal’s nerves tingled in alarm. He imagined Lorna was preparing to pounce. The badger scuttled into the brushwood to hide, wishing he hadn’t lingered under the trees when he heard the gunshots. He peeped through the clustering vegetation to see if he was being hunted. Lorna was standing and looking towards him; a small red patch showed on her back hair. She was panting, and her eyes seemed to bore into him. He shrank down, waiting for the charge.
‘Come out, Ratel. Don’t be foolish. You don’t need to hide from me,’ Lorna boomed.
‘How do I know that?’ he asked nervously.
‘Because I wouldn’t waste my
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