Hare-iette and Red came tumbling into the house, and poured out the whole story so fast that I really didn't get half of it, but I got the idea and called the sheriff. I told him there were strange men hunting on my land where hunting and trespassing were not allowed.

The sheriff came quickly and Hare-iette showed him where the men had been. Nothing was left but the remains of a campfire.

As soon as the sheriff had left, Hare-iette and Red rushed to where they had left Ivan. He wasn't there! Hare-iette let out one of those ear-splitting hare screams. Her scream was answered by a squeaky call from the clearing above Ivan's hiding place.

They rushed to the clearing, and found Ivan trotting around crying, "Mama, Mama". They ran to him and hugged him. They told him all about the men in woods. Ivan, of course, didn't understand a word they said, but they got him settled down, and played with him for a long time. After that, everything went along well for about a week. I even went up to see Ivan myself, but I hid behind a tree and didn't let him see me. As much as I love animals, I know it's best if wild animals don't learn to trust humans.

I was so proud of Hare-iette and Red. They spent a lot of time with Ivan and took good care of him. It was beginning to look like a hare and a teddy bear could raise a baby caribou.

Christmas Eve, we had been to Mass and had had a nice dinner. Hare-iette and Red had gone to take care of Ivan. I was cleaning up the kitchen. I was looking forward to getting into my nightgown and robe, reading Hare-iette a Christmas story and drinking hot chocolate.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Hare-iette and Red came in screaming for me. "Mom, those men are back and they are going to kill Ivan!!! They said they lost a lot of money because of him, and they are going to kill him!"
"And Ivan is going crazy! He's all upset. He's running around the clearing and yelling. I think he's hysterical!"
I pulled on my boots and grabbed my jacket. I had a flash light in one hand and my cell phone in the other.

We crashed through the woods as fast as we could. Then we saw the lights the men were carrying, and they were right near Ivan's hiding place. I told Hare-iette and Red to go to the clearing and take care of Ivan, and I'd deal with the men. I already had the sheriff's number punched in the cell phone, and now I hit dial. I yelled as loud as I could to the men and headed for where they were, all the while talking to the sheriff on the cell phone. I told the men the sheriff was on his way and they would get arrested. One of them yelled,
"Let's get outta here. It ain't worth it. That animal will die out here alone anyway."
They went crashing down the hill as fast as they could...in the direction of the road, right where the sheriff would be.

I breathed a sigh of relief and headed up to the clearing. Ivan was still in a awful state. He was so upset. He was running around the clearing yelling, Mama, Mama, fixin'fixin"," and looking to the sky in the north. I felt so bad, but I had no idea what to do. If he saw me he would probably be even more upset.

I really have to give Hare-iette a lot of credit. She just stood and talked to him quietly and tried to calm him. She tried so hard, but it just didn't work.

I was standing there trying to figure out how to help when I felt it!
The ground was shaking!
Then a violent wind!
Then a roar, like a jet plane!
I was terrified! All I could think of was a tornado!
I grabbed Hare-iette and Red and tried to get Ivan, but he ran from me.. I dropped to the ground behind a big tree, holding Hare-iette and Red under me and covering my head. I was so scared I was crying and praying at the same time. I waited for a tornado to hit and wondered if we would survive.