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“Well, it looks like you all know a thing or two about kids,” nodded the man. Trak was talking to the kids about footprints on the trail, and one of the kids jumped up.
“Mr. Berry! There’s a porcupine track over there. Can we follow it?”
“Uh, maybe later,” he smirked. “Porcupines can be prickly if we get near them.”
“Aww man,” he sighed.
“Don’t worry,” said Trak. “Look here. There are tracks for deer. You’ll see them if you’re very quiet and listen to your leader.”
“See, that’s what I mean,” said the leader.
“Trak’s an expert tracker,” said Nine. “It’s how he got his name. I’m sure he’s hoping the kids learn about nature. He has a love of it himself.”
They watched as the medical team took care of the boys. Some of their blisters were pretty bad. They washed their feet, applying antibiotic ointment to the affected areas, then bandaged them, creating a soft cushion against their hiking shoes.
“Wow, that feels good!” said a little boy. “Thank you!”
“You’re so welcome,” smiled Lena.
“You’re awful pretty. You wanna be my girlfriend?” Lena laughed, smiling at him.
“I would love to be your girlfriend, but I’m already married. He’s my husband,” she said, pointing to Tailor. The little boy looked at him as Tailor gave a playful look of anger toward the boy.
“Whoa, he’s really big. Did he have to eat vegetables?” asked the boy.
“Yes, sir. I make him eat dried fruit, nuts, vegetables, all of it. He has to drink lots of milk and eat good, healthy meals.”
“Man, I knew you were gonna say that. Never mind. I don’t need a girlfriend right now.” The boy walked away, and Lena could only laugh, shaking her head. She remembered Eric being that small, once upon a time. Now, he was nearly as big as his father.
“Everyone fixed up?” asked the scout leader.
“They’re all good now,” said Cruz, handing him a bag. “Here are some extra supplies for you. I’d recommend changing their socks, and that will help.”
“I’ll do it as soon as we’re back at camp. Thank you again. Have a great time!”
They waved at the boys, laughing about their expressions, curiosity, and boyish wonder. When their own lunch was done, they made the long journey back toward base camp.
Gaspar, Nine, Ghost, and Ian stayed at the back of the line, walking with Trak a few paces behind the others.
“Porcupines and deer, huh?” asked Ian.
“Yep.”
“What else?” asked Ghost. Trak looked at him with a funny expression. “I’ve known you a long time, Trak. You didn’t wander off the trail to find animal tracks. What did you see?”
“Boots.”
“Boots? What does that mean?” asked Ian.
“How many of us are wearing boots? Either cowboy or work boots?”
“None,” said Gaspar.
“Exactly. No man would wear those hiking on a trail. But there were boot prints off the trail. Either someone is inexperienced in the wilderness, lost, or hoping to get lost.” Ghost nodded at him.
“Or all three.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
