As the shadows began to lengthen across the canyon, she was perhaps only 100 feet short of the top. Even that short distance seemed daunting to the exhausted young Wood Cow. Suddenly, however, she heard a voice call out: “Aye, Annie, if it ish’t a climbin’ beastie! Lookee here, Annie!”
Craning her head as much as she could to look upward without falling, Helga saw a creature such as she had never seen before peering over the edge of the cliff above her. A large, burly figure gazed down at her. In spite of the oversize, red tricorne hat that shaded most of his face, she could tell he wore a red eye-patch and had ribbons hanging amidst his tangled beard. “Well, well, ish’t looks to need some help, Annie...What ya think?” Broken Eye said gleefully.
“Why sure, Broken Eye, let’s give her a lift,” Slasher Annie replied. Pulling a long length of wild hemp rope out of her satchel, Annie made a loop in one end and fastened the other end securely around a nearby tree. Then she lowered the rope over the side of the cliff toward Helga.
“Catch the rope,” Annie called out to Helga. “Hook your arms through the loop and we’ll pull you up.”
“Thanks,” Helga called out gratefully, not knowing who was helping her, but glad to at last be finishing her climbing ordeal.
Broken Eye and Annie worked furiously to pull the heavy Wood Cow to the top of the cliff. Gasping for air, they collapsed on the ground wheezing piteously as Helga pulled herself over the side of the cliff to solid ground once more. Her joy and gratitude knew no bounds. She cried with happy release from her struggle and joyously thanked her helpers over and over again.
Broken Eye and Annie continued to lie on the ground seemingly writhing in pitiful agony from their exertions. Their sorrowful state tugged at Helga’s heart. She slipped off her pack and rummaged for water, offering it to them. They pretended to be too weak to drink it. Worried, Helga said, “Hang on, let me signal Papa that we have reached the top of the cliff. Once he knows we are safe, I’ll find a way to help you.”
Helga turned her back to release the willow-drum attached to her pack to use in signaling Breister. The instant she was bent over the pack, Broken Eye and Slasher Annie jumped on her, trying to overpower her. They wanted the pack and everything in it, imagining it must be filled with food. Helga fought with the strength of ten cow beasts. Her natural strength, added to her fierce desire to protect herself, made her a magnificent fighter. Unable to reach the flicker-pole, Helga resorted to Yeow-Yeow—the ancient Wood Cow martial art. Blow by blow, she skillfully mixed head-butts and lightning hoof strikes, pummeling her attackers. A ferocious battle raged across the head of the cliff. Broken Eye and Annie attacked Helga repeatedly from every side with their fearsome claws and machetes.
Helga fought valiantly, but could not withstand the sustained attack of two battle-wise Cougars in their prime. A machete slash to the shoulder here and a deep swipe of claws to the side there. At last, slashes and wounds covered her body. She sank to the ground. The treacherous Cougar bandits ransacked Helga’s backpack but, of course, found little. Infuriated, they smashed the contents of the backpack: the willow drum, the water gourds, anything of value.
“Nay, Annie, ish’t be nothing worth the butts we’s took!” Broken Eye scowled. “We’s took her down, but ish’t a pity we didn’t find better pickings.”
“She said her Papa was down below,” Slasher Annie mused. “She was going to signal him.”
“She is a young beast...Ish’t a parent below, ya mark my words,” Broken Eye replied. “But why did she climb all the way up ta here and leave’ns ’im below?”
They looked at each other. The same answer was occurring to them at the same time: A stranded boat!
“He’s probably run the boat aground. She’ll be loaded with stuff! Maybe he’s hurted or somethin’. She’s scoutin’ the way out. He’s guardin’ some treasure stuffs, ya be sure of that, or we’s not Broken Eye! Aye, Annie, easy pickins that will be, if we’s careful.” Broken Eye felt suddenly refreshed.
“We’re better climbers than a Cow,” Annie added excitedly. “We have a good length of rope. Working together, we can lower ourselves down quickly. We’ll work at night while he’s sleeping. Cougars don’t have good night vision for nothing!”
“Aye, Annie. We’s jump him while he sleeps.” Broken Eye’s one good eye bugged out wildly, gleaming in anticipation.
“What about the Cow?” Annie asked. “She’s cut up badly.”
“Good,” Broken Eye said, his words dripping with callous contempt. “She won’t be botherin’ again.”