He Who Walks Among the Trees 21
refilled my thermos at the cabin and now finished off the tea. And I resumed the routine of quietly checking and rechecking gear. When a deer finally came, all must be smooth and silent and swift: I’d only get one shot and a moment to make it. But the afternoon waned toward twilight and, aside from the doe I had seen and passed on near midday, the woods were quiet. However, I am a stubborn hunter and remained in the stand till the very last of the light. It’s hard to tell when the sun sets when you’re deep in the forest, especially if you live atop a mountain. Ridges and the forest canopy play tricks with the light. In some places it can seem like it’s night while plenty of light still remains in the sky. So I ignored the darkening woods and watched the sky for an indication of when I should call it a day. The hue of the sky darkened, transitioning from azure to deep ocean blue. When the west took on a florid magenta, I took that as a clue that the sun had either just set or was just upon the horizon. Time to go. No deer, but I was relieved to call it a day nonetheless. I’d been at it a while and needed a break. Hunting is intense work for the body and hard on the mind for keeping keen senses. It leaves you feeling tired inside, like you might feel after consuming a deep book. Once again I lowered all my equipment to the ground and then climbed down. When I reached the ground, I realized I had miscalculated the light. Halfway up in the tree I had more access to the sky and it had seemed brighter, but on the ground it was so dark I almost had to feel around to find my gear. I hitched my pack around my waist, slung the quiver over my back, and grabbed the bow. It was getting dark fast. I had a pair of small flashlights, but I preferred not to use them. I preferred to rely on my own senses as much as possible. I made my way south across the glade into the ancient forest. There, surrounded by the great trees, it suddenly seemed like I had left twilight behind and entered a world of night. Shadow stood against deeper shadow and I went slowly for several minutes, picking my way among