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

It was turning dark when they stopped to eat supper. Hugh lit his camp stove while Ansel filled the frying pan with water and added dried meat from the jar Hugh handed him, plus some of the goldenrod and pine nuts. The meat was definitely jerky consistency, but once it was in the water, it would soften up.


“I swear, I’m never eating stew again,” Ansel grumbled when their meal was ready and they began to eat, straight out of the pan.


“I don’t know. A good beef stew with lots of vegetables sounds pretty good right now,” Hugh replied. He grinned at Ansel. “Pretend that’s what this is and you’ll be fine.”


“Even my imagination isn’t that good.”


They finished eating, leaving enough for Orion who had been watching with bated breath for his share. After washing the pan, they took off again.


“Are you okay?” Hugh called out several hours later, hurrying to Ansel’s side. They’d been trudgingalong when suddenly Ansel seemed to stumble and then fell to his hands and knees.


Chapter 39