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The animal moved forward on shaking legs, first one step, then a second. Henry maintained eye contact; he couldn’t show vulnerability by looking away. Slowly, he bent down, picked up a long branch resting on the forest floor, and stood once more.
“You have to run,” he told Emily again.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m too scared.”
Blast—he’d rather know she was safe before facing down the animal. There was nothing for it, though.
“I’m going to try and scare it off,” he explained. “As soon as I step forward, you have to run. Is that clear?”
“Scare it off? Can’t we just slowly walk away? If we don’t run, it won’t chase us, right?”
Once an animal contracted rabies, it became wildly unpredictable. He didn’t dare chance that the snarling dog would suddenly turn docile.
The dog took a few more unsteady steps in their direction. He looked nearly ready to collapse. Henry knew better, however. Just because a crazed animal appeared ready to drop didn’t mean it wouldn’t revive again just when you expected it to give in.
“Look at him, Emily,” Henry said. “He’s sick. He isn’t going to simply let us walk away.”
She let out a small sob.
“Don’t worry,” he added. “I won’t let him hurt you.” And he meant it. No one was getting bitten while he was around.
Lifting the branch high above his head, Henry leapt forward, yelling and screaming at the top of his lungs. He’d learned a year earlier at university that bears often bellow and stand on their hind legs to make themselves look bigger in an effort to scare off other dangerous animals instead of actually fighting them. With any luck, he could do just the same now.
Henry swung the branch, though he knew he wasn’t close enough to actually hit the dog. It did break off several branches of a nearby bush and throw up a bit of dirt as it skittered across the ground. With another scream, Henry stomped forward, puffing out his chest and hoping to make himself appear as large as possible.
The animal lowered its head and growled, but it also took a hesitant step backward.
His tactic appeared to be working. Henry yelled, lifting the branch above him, and bringing it straight down. It smacked against the forest floor and cracked loudly, bits of old bark flying off in every direction. Several pieces scratched against the animal’s face.
It howled and scraped a paw over its snout, leaving behind a small smear of red.
Henry pressed his advantage, stomping forward again and lifting the branch.
The dog tucked its tail, then spun about and scurried back into the forest.
Henry stood, watching where it had disappeared for several minutes. He wasn’t about to turn his back on the animal just yet, not until he knew for certain it was gone and they were safe.
All around them was still for several minutes. Finally, Henry breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to Emily.
She still stood on the path, exactly where he’d left her, arms clutched around herself and her face pale as a ghost.
“He’s gone,” Henry said. “It’s all right now.”
It was at that moment that Henry realized she wasn’t looking in fear toward where the animal had disappeared, but straight at him.
He walked toward her, and she took a small step back.
Henry paused. “Emily?”
When she spoke, her voice was small. “I’ve never heard such horrible sounds...from a man before.”
What would she have preferred? That he ask the dog politely if it might leave them alone? “I did what was necessary to protect us.”
She blinked, then shook herself. “Yes...of course...I mean, thank you.”
But the words didn’t sound sincere. They didn’t sound like her concern was for letting him know she was grateful he’d scared the rabid dog off.
“I’d best see you home now,” he said.
