Read Bonesetter for Free Online

animal gather itself and dash for a gap on the other side. It flew between Boro and Gontra despite their attempts to frighten it back to center.
    Dejectedly they gathered for a postmortem on the hunt. As Pell had feared Deni t had a few choice words for Pell, “Can’t you even stay on your feet for a hunt, you ginja fool? Are you really that clumsy or did you just lie down to take a nap?”
    Pell hung his head. He had no spirit to argue and, even though he knew that Denit was using the term “ginja” as a swearword, nonetheless it struck terror in Pell’s heart.
    Roley tried to cheer them up. “This encirclement plan is going to work. We just need to try it again.” Pell realized with a start that Roley wasn’t confident about this hunting method and wondered whom Roley had learned it from.
    Soon they were spread out in their skirmish line again and advancing across the plain. It was another hour or so before they came on a large boar with a couple of sows. Pell was nervous, boars could be dangerous and this one was huge, nearly chest high and so dark it was almost black. Its tusks looked to be as long as Pell’s foot. At least they let the circle close considerably before becoming at all agitated. When they did take notice of the hunters, it was with a belligerent attitude, heaving their heads up and down and slashing the air with their tusks. Then they began making short charges directly at members of the hunting party. To Pell’s relief none of the charges were toward him. The circle became smaller and smaller and then the big one took a full charge on Boro. Though he appeared to be terrified, Boro nonetheless did as he had been taught and dropped to one knee. He planted the butt of his spear in the ground and held the point out at the charging beast. The boar spitted itself on Boro’s spear, bowling the boy away. The two sows exploded out of the circle to either side of Boro and the insanely thrashing boar. Gontra appeared out of the dust and began stabbing the boar repeatedly with his spear. Others quickly joined the melee. Pell turned from the excitement and checked on Boro. His friend was limping a little, but so excited he could hardly hold still. “I did it! It was my spear that killed it, wasn’t it?” He hopped up and down in delight.
    Other hunters came over to congratulate Boro as well. Pell, initially excited for Boro, found himself mired in jealousy and dismay. Until now, when he worried about his own inadequacies, at least he had felt superior to Boro. Now Boro had a major kill—of a charging boar no less! Pell’s pride over the kill of his rabbit seemed a petty thing now, especially since he knew that it was a trick with a thong, rather than true hunting skill or courage that had brought the rabbit down.
    As Pell stood scuffing his toe and worrying about his own predicament, he slowly became aware that a silence had fallen over the group. He looked quickly about for a cause. Exen’s face was ashen. Pell followed Exen’s eyes, which were staring at his father Gontra. As Pell took in the scene he realized that Gontra was grimacing and holding one hand with his other. The veins were standing out on his usually pleasant face and no trace of his customary grin was evident. “I fell,” he said, as if that explained it all.
    Everyone gathered around to gawk, so it was a while before Pell could see but it became evident that Gontra had injured his finger. Pell saw that it was bent back the same way that his own pointer finger had been several days ago! Pont looked at it briefly, and then rummaged in his pouch. “You’ve done the same thing that that ginja fool Pell did to his finger. Don’t worry, I fixed that worthless piece of boar’s scat , I’ll fix your finger too. Here, chew on this.”
    Pell choked on his rage. He wanted to shout out that he had fixed his own finger! Pont hadn’t done it! How could the hemp Pont was giving Gontra possibly fix a finger? However, when he looked at the