When Hugh Mathews decides it's time to get out from under his tyrannical father's thumb and away from the life he's been living, he does it in a big way. Packing what he'll need to survive in the wilderness, and with only his dog, Orion, for companionship, he heads into the mountains. When they find a abandoned cabin, Hugh begins the arduous task of repairing it, as well as hunting for food and everything else they'll need to stay alive.<br><br>Soon after, Ansel Jeffries, a nature photographer, arrives at Hugh's cabin, seeking an abandoned mine he wants to photograph. After talking with him, Ansel sees the potential for a story in what Hugh is doing -- and why.<br><br>Ansel convinces Hugh to let him tell it, meaning he'll be living at the cabin with Hugh. When he moves in, will what becomes friendship between the two men grow into more?

Off the Beaten Path

When they got to the stream, Ansel found two long branches for fishing poles. With everything ready, they sat at the edge of the stream and cast their lines. After a good ten minutes of the fish ignoring them, it finally occurred to the guys they needed bait.


“Okay, Orion, time for you to earn your keep,” Hugh said, pointing to the ground a few feet away. “Dig.” Orion seemed puzzled, until Hugh demonstrated. Getting the idea, he did, unearthing a few worms.


“Now, maybe?” Hugh said, impaling a worm on the safety pin hook then casting it into the stream.


While they waited, they relaxed in the sun, savoring the warmth as they knew that it wouldn’t be long before even sunlight wouldn’t overcome the chill of the autumn days.


Feeling lazy, Hugh lay back, holding the rod in one hand in case a fish actually bit, staring up at the blue sky above them. “Now do you see why I want to live up here? Peace and quiet, beautiful scenery, no one telling me what I should be doing.”


Chapter 25