Maggie and the Big Friendly Bear - Part Two

For several days (or is it weeks?) I have avoided the wood in the only way I know how.
I sit, I stare at the Boss, she tries to cajole me along, if she goes too far and threatens to drag me, as she has done when I am about to eat something I shouldn’t, I dig my paws in and strain backwards meaning that she gives up for fear of strangling me or injuring herself. Look on Instagram, there are reels and reels of Golden Retrievers doing just this.
Were I able to talk on these occasions I would tell her that there is a strange scent in the air or that that loud noise scares me and means something bad is about to happen if I go forward – yes, I do carry things a little far when we see the man with the tiny Yorkshire terrier on the end of his lead. They are walking away from us to another part of the woods but, honestly, it is scary, I swear that dog gives me a funny look. If unsure, best avoid it, is my motto.
So, here we are, some time after the time when I ran all the way home from the Big ‘Friendly?’ Bear.
We are ambling along the back track, across the stile

Maggie walking along the track — Maggie walking along the Track

and before I know it, we have crossed the main road and are walking into the woods. I am, at this point, more concerned with the fact that there is a lawnmower being ridden close by and take an extra wide path around it. (You can never be too careful). As all seems to be clear ahead, I hurry down the path into the trees.

The Boss still has me on a lead. However, seeing how confident I am, she releases me. We do have a lovely walk, we make it almost all the way round the wood before there is a whimper from me as I catch that scent again. The Boss does not fail to notice my discomfit and is reaching for the lead when around the corner, not two yards ahead of us, comes – Bear!
This monstrous fellow is so close that I can feel his breath on my face. The Boss whips round, lead ready but instinct has kicked in before she can move, I turn and run. The Boss, left holding out my lead, has no choice but to turn and race after me. I should say that her ‘racing’ is rather slow, hampered as she is by only having two legs and all the bits and bobs she seems to be carrying. I outpace her easily.
‘Maggie’ she calls, I sort of hear but I keep going, My perfect recall fails me at this moment. All those lessons learnt so well, desert me. I’ll wait for her in a minute, when I feel safe.
I will learn later that at this juncture, the Boss pulls out her phone and taps the ‘find me’ icon. I am registered, rather rudely if you ask me, as an ‘item’ although she did have the decency to insert my name against said ‘item’. Apparently, the app tells her exactly where I am which is, by now, across the main road and heading back down the track. Déjà vu!

The Boss follows as fast as she can. Not very fast. She is about to go back over the stile when Ruby’s Boss lady phones her.
But I rush ahead because just before this, I am ambling along the track and up the little lane that comes out onto the hill that leads to home, when I see Ruby and stop for a sniff. Ruby is an older Goldie who I count as ‘friend’. I do have several doggy ‘friends’.
Ruby’s Boss man is also there. Ruby’s boss lady reads the phone number on my collar tag and speaks to The Boss. Next thing I know, Ruby’s Boss lady has produced a spare lead which she clips to my harness while Ruby’s Boss man attempts to walk me back to meet my Boss. Only I don’t want to go back do I? No thank you, I’ll just sit here if you don’t mind. Danger lurks back there. Look, I will sit quietly, no, not moving an inch thank you very much.

Ruby shakes her head at me, older and wiser. Her Boss lady then takes Ruby back along the track, returning moments later with – the Boss! I am ecstatic. The Boss has escaped the monster once again!
While the Boss thanks Ruby and her people, I trot happily beside her, my own lead now securely fastened, and we head up the hill and home.

I notice that the boss is a little out of breath and seems rather exasperated if I am honest, but she is in one piece and so am I, what is there to fret about?