Harold the Hawk at Buzzard B. Barn: Harold the Hawk Cousins Adventure Series

By Bob Williams, Jackson Schwarz and Alyson Lee

Cousins Hudson, Colt, Jackson, Griffin, and Jude are helping Pop Pop with some duties out on the property. The goats need their yearly vaccinations and tagging. But nothing out on the property is ever uninteresting. Snakes and dark forests are only precursors to what Jack Jack faces. While the other four cousins and Pop Pop are herding up the goats for vaccinations, Jack Jack pursues a lost kid only to find himself up against one of the more dangerous predators on the ranch. Jack Jack is determined to save the baby goat even when he has to battle darkness, injury, buzzards and bobcats. Can Jack Jack make it through a vicious Texas thunderstorm, a night in an old barn infested with several creatures of the night, and an attack by an angry mother bobcat all while being lost and alone?

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781664276338

Bob Williams

Bob Williams is a former British Columbia cabinet minister who played a key role in establishing the Agricultural Land Reserve and Insurance Corporation of British Columbia during BC’s first NDP government in the 1970s. More recently, Williams was influential in building the Vancity Credit Union into the leading co-operative financial institution in Western Canada.

Book preview

HAROLD

THE HAWK

at

BUZZARD B. BARN

Harold the Hawk Cousins Adventure Series

BOB WILLIAMS AND JACKSON SCHWARZ

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Copyright © 2022 Bob Williams and Jackson Schwarz.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

All Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7632-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7634-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-7633-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915846

WestBow Press rev. date: 10/03/2022

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty- Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

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CHAPTER ONE

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 91

T HE ANCIENT OAK SPREAD ITS limbs out over the rolling prairie grasses. Its massive trunk stood tall as a guard tower, watching over the hills day and night. During the hot summer, its extending branches provided cool shade and a respite from the scorching Texas sun. Beneath its boughs, one could seek protection. And from that spot one could see for miles in all directions. High on a hill it stood majestically, a guiding beacon for the many generations who lived within sight of it. Like the tree of Moreh in the book of Genesis where God speaks to Abraham, this magnificent tree provided assurance for many through the years. Under that tree God promised Abraham that his journey would be blessed, and his family protected for generations to come.

From the top of this oak, a hawk’s keen eyes saw almost everywhere and everything on Pop Pop’s ranch. Underneath, a weary soul could rest, trusting, like Abraham, that God watches over all things.

Dusk settled around the campsite where Pop Pop and his grandsons had pitched their tents under the protection of the hilltop oak.

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Although a chill moved across the Texas prairie and demanded the boys wear jackets, they knew a warm campfire would help hold off the cooler night air.

Pop Pop knew how to get a fire going quickly. Every boy would, sometime in his life, need to know how to build a fire. Colt, Hudson, Griffin, and Jackson gathered kindling. Pop Pop then taught the boys how to get a blazing fire started. To set up camp in the cool month of April required warmth against the night’s chill, and light to fight off the night’s darkness.

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All four of the cousins watched as Pop Pop’s large hands nimbly piled up small, dried twigs. His fingers and thumbs were larger than the twigs but handled each with agility. With a large stick in the center, Pop Pop stacked many smaller twigs around the center pole, creating what looked like a small teepee. This formation would provide plenty of air and space to allow the small flame to grow.

From his pocket, Pop Pop pulled a small silver tube, unscrewed the top, and pulled out a single match. He stuffed some dry grass into the bottom of the twig teepee, struck the match on a nearby rock, cupped his large hand around the flame, and placed the match under the grass. With his face close to the flame, he blew gently into the growing fire, fanning the flame with more air. Soon the small teepee was engulfed in fire. Then each boy placed larger twigs onto the flame with the same care that they had just seen from Pop Pop’s aged but agile hands.

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Once the fire was blazing, the tents had to be set up. Each boy grabbed poles, rope, and canvas as Pop Pop barked instructions. With the tents up and fire blazing, everyone removed the rest of their gear from the horses’ packs. The boys then dragged logs or large rocks close to the fire where they could sit and rest.

The warmth of the fire spread like a blanket around the shoulders of the cousins as they huddled near the red and yellow flames. Pop Pop kept a keen eye on the darkening shadows outside their circle of light. In the black of night, pairs of green or golden eyes would occasionally glow at some distance, but Pop Pop knew they wouldn’t come near as long as the fire burned brightly.

The boys laughed and moved in the light of the fire. Their shadows danced on the nearby trees and brush, exaggerating the size of the young cousins. Occasionally two or four glowing eyes would pass near, evaluate the commotion, then move on into the brush, hidden in their nocturnal world. Only Pop Pop noticed them. The warmth and light of the fire kept not only the cold at bay but also hungry predators.

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CHAPTER TWO

He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you

with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17b

A FTER A DINNER OF POP Pop’s roasted potatoes and flame-seared steak, the boys began to settle in.

Can we make s’mores? asked Hudson.

Yeah, s’mores would be deeeelicious, added Griffin.

All eyes fixed on Pop Pop with the hope of biting into the crunchy, gooey, chocolate-and-marshmallow treat.

Boys, this is not that kind of a trip. We’re here to work. When we get back home, we can have dessert, but out here we’re limited in what we can bring. Your horses can only carry so much. Look at Lightning over there. He’s one of our strongest horses, and he has to carry both Hudson and Jude. Midnight, Lefty, Homeboy, and Prince are all carrying us, the tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear, medicine for the goats, and wire to fix the fence. Not to mention, I let each of you bring your BB guns this time, said Pop Pop.