Soongazellesarrivedintheirhordes.Hidingbehindalargerock,Jianaremainedmotionless,waitingforthemtopassby.Suddenlyfivewolvesappeared.Targetingonewolf,Jianaaimedhisrifle,quiteconfidenthecouldkillitwithoneshot.Onceonewolfwentdown,theotherfourwouldrunaway,hethought.Thenhewouldcarrythedeadwolfbacktothevillage.Howeverashewasabouttofire,henoticedthebigmale,tallerthanalltheothers,withanimposingappearance,likeaking.
Jianashiftedhisaimandfiredatthewolfking.Itwasacleanhit.Themajesticcreaturefaltered,butthenranoff.ReactingquicklyJianajumpedonhishorseandgavechase.Hefiredavolleyofshotswhileinthesaddle,butdespitebeingshotthewolfwasstilltoofastandalloftheshotsmissed.Jiana鈥檚failuretobringtheanimaldownmadehimmoredetermined.Hechangedtactics.SlinginghisrifleontohisbackJianaincreasedspeed.Heknewthatthefasterthewoundedwolfranthemorechancetherewasofquickeningitsdeaththroughmassivehemorrhaging.Humanbeingsknewthis,butnotawolf.Actuallyhuntersoftentalkedaboutthistogetherassometimestheyneededmorethanjustgunsandbulletstosucceedonahunt鈥搕heyneededwisdomtoo.Thelatterwouldensureahunterfinallygethisprey.
Astheygallopedacrosshillanddale,Jianawatchedasthedistancebetweenthemnarrowed.Finally,whiletryingtoclimbupasteepslope,thelargewolfdroppedfromexhaustion.Jumpingdownfromhishorse,Jianaintendedtofirethekillingshot.Hishandwasonthetrigger.Atthatmomentthewolfhowledinanguish.Themournfulsoundfrozehistriggerfinger.Bloodgushedfromthewolf鈥檚mouth,causedbyitswildrunningthatmusthaveexacerbateditscondition.Jianaknewitwoulddiesoon.
AnotherhowlsentshiversdownJiana鈥檚spine.Itwasthesoundofalivingcreaturesufferingunbearablepain.AsurgeofsympathyswelledupinJiana,stoppinghimfromfiring.Squattingbesidethewrithingwolf,hewitnessedthewitheringofalivingbeingonthevergeofdeath.Withnostrengthleftforittorunaway,thewolfjustlookedathim,waitingforitsdeath.Itseyeswerefilledwithpain,thepainofsubmission.TearsrolleddownfromitseyeswhichmovedJiana.Itwasawolfking,butthepanicofdeathhadremovedthemajesticglowthathadbeentherejusthoursbefore,afactthatheightenedJiana鈥檚distress.Inthefaceofdeath,alllivingthingswerefragile.Deathwasafatethatwaitedforeveryone.ThenagreatwaveofsadnessseizedJiana.Hedidn鈥檛wanttoseealivingbeingdyingthisway,inparticularthestruggleanddesperationonthevergeofdeath.Witnessingascenelikethisgavehimanominousfeeling.Hefeltasifhewasexperiencingdeathhimself.Hemadeuphismindnottokillthewolf.
Itwasblisteringhot.Jianafoundsomeweedstocovertheanimal,tryingtoshadeitfromheatandrelieveitspain.Ifitwereluckyenough,maybethewolfcouldstillsurvive.Anhourlaterheuncoveredtheweeds,andfoundtheflowofbloodhadcongealedaroundthecornersofitsmouthanditsbreathwasweak.However,thewolfopeneditseyeswider,fullofdesperationandfear.Ashewalkedinfrontofit,itseyesfollowedhismovementsseeminglyinthehopethathewouldreleaseitfromdeath.However,deathhadalreadyarrivedandwasinevitable.Therewasnostoppingitnow.
Jianaestimatedthatthewolfwouldenduretwomoredaysoftorturebeforeitsdeath.Hewascaughtinadilemma:Whennightfell,bearswouldhunthere.Oncebeingdiscovered,thepoorwolfwouldbeattackedbybears.Thenatthelastmomentsofitslife,thewolfkingwouldsuffermorehumiliation.Evenifbearsdidnotappear,itwasstillmiserableforthewolftowaitpainfullyfordeathinthecomingdays.
SuddenlyJianaknewwhathehadtodo.Hepointedtherifleatthewolf鈥檚head,turnedhisfaceawayandfired.Thewolflaymotionless.Itspainhadendedalongwithitslife.
Jiananeverhuntedagain.
WANGZUisamemberofChinaWritersAssociation,andauthorofmultiplepoetryanthologiesandproseworks.