That night, Pyotr Andreyevich couldn’t sleep – his radiculitis had returned, and a piercing pain had gripped his body. He tried all possible means, but nothing brought relief, except for one – a miraculous ointment from his neighbor Agafya Vasilyevna. Only thanks to her could he move somehow.
By morning, the pain had subsided a little, allowing him to get out of bed. Approaching the window, he was not surprised by the view outside the glass: his radiculitis always warned him of bad weather. It was pouring rain outside, which was increasingly washing out the forest paths.
The forester moved away from the window and filled a bowl of water for Kamal – his faithful companion. A year ago, he found this dog in the forest on the verge of life and de.ath. In a brutal fight with a predator, the dog received a serious injury to its paw, due to which it could hardly move.
Pyotr Andreevich took it, nursed it back to health, and now Kamal has become not just a pet for him, but a true friend.
The dog turned out to be incredibly smart: it could find any animal, flawlessly carried out its owner’s commands and became the only living creature with whom the forester shared his solitude among the endless forests. The man had been living alone for many years.
His wife Maria Leonidovna passed away ten years ago from a heart attack, and his daughter Nadya had long since lost touch with her home. She always dreamed of leaving the village and finding a rich life in the city. As soon as she turned eighteen, she left, leaving her parents, and never returned.
Her dream came true – she married a wealthy man, but this marriage fell apart.
After that, a series of events began: new marriages, divorces, pregnancies, abortions… Nadya could not find her destiny and grabbed every chance. All this time, Pyotr Andreyevich and his wife tried to help her financially, although they themselves were not rich.
Maria Leonidovna often cried, worrying about her daughter, and her heart could not stand it. When she died, her daughter did not even come to the funeral, despite an urgent telegram. She did not call, did not send a single word. This greatly hurt Pyotr Andreyevich, and he stopped trying to establish contact. So he was left completely alone in his small hut, but the work of a huntsman brought him joy and meaning.
The important boss added that he represented a social assistance fund and was appointed as a mentor for people who had lost their bearings in life. The fund helped orphans, the homeless, and those who had recently been released from prison, giving them the opportunity to start a new life. To do this, they were sent under the guardianship of conscientious citizens who were engaged in useful activities. Now it was Pyotr Andreyevich’s turn. For his participation, the forester would receive an additional reward to his pension.
Pyotr Andreyevich was enthusiastic about the offer: finally, his loneliness would be interrupted, and Timur seemed to him a sincere and sincere person.
The beginning of their life together, however, was not so smooth. Timur was withdrawn and uncommunicative, and Pyotr Andreyevich was in no hurry to ask intrusive questions. Time passed, and the forester gradually involved the guy in the work. Over time, Timur gained confidence and found his place. Kamal also accepted the new tenant – the dog instinctively sensed good people. She happily played with Timur, slept at his feet and always accompanied him during walks.
One frosty winter morning, they set out on a routine patrol of the area. Suddenly, Kamal’s alarming bark was heard. The men hurried toward the sound and froze at what they saw: a young she-wolf was stuck in a trap. Her condition indicated that she had been fighting for her life for a long time.
“Damn Makarov!” Pyotr Andreevich muttered through his teeth. “This poacher set his deadly traps all over the forest, and how many innocent animals died because of him!”
Dmitry Makarov was a local poacher whose outrages knew no bounds. His traps became a real scourge for the forest dwellers.
“Timur, keep your distance. She, although weak, can attack. Kamal, be quiet!” the forester warned.
Pyotr Andreyevich carefully approached the she-wolf, spoke to her soothingly and with deft movements freed her paw from the trap. The animal barely cried out in pain, but had no strength left to resist.
The forester found two strong pine branches, laid the she-wolf on them and carried her home – help was needed. With the help of Agafya Vasilyevna, who brought her famous ointment, they began treatment. Having named the she-wolf Rama, they began her recovery. The animal adapted to the new environment surprisingly quickly: it behaved calmly, did not show aggression, and after a while Pyotr Andreyevich could feed it right from his hand.
Rama lived with the huntsman until the end of winter. When the she-wolf began to show signs of restlessness – whining and howling – Pyotr Andreevich decided that it was time to let her go.
“I think it’s too early to let her go, let her leg get stronger,” Timur expressed his concerns.
“No, it’s time for her. This is breeding season, and that’s what she’s restless about,” the forester explained.
Two weeks later, a tragedy occurred in the village. Makarov, the same poacher, lost his daughter Veronica. Three years ago, she left the village, got a job in the city, and met a wealthy man. In rare phone conversations, she assured her mother that she would soon become the wife of a rich man.
But recently, Veronica returned home pregnant. When her future husband found out about the child, he immediately kicked her out. The groom’s wealthy parents did not even suspect the existence of this relationship – their plans for their son were completely different.
Seeing his pregnant daughter on the threshold, Makarov became furious. Taking a shovel, he chased after her. The frightened girl ran away, and now her disappearance became the reason for a large-scale search. The temperature outside was rapidly falling, and all efforts were thrown into saving the unfortunate girl. Among those who took part in the search were Pyotr Andreyevich and Timur, as well as the faithful Kamal.
The men went deeper into the forest, but the search yielded no results. Twilight had already begun to fall, when suddenly a familiar figure appeared in front of them – it was Rama, their former ward, the she-wolf. She looked closely at Pyotr Andreyevich, then abruptly tore off and ran forward, stopping and looking back every few meters, as if calling them to follow her.
The huntsman understood everything instantly.
“After her!” he shouted to Timur, and they rushed after the she-wolf.
As they ran towards the river, they heard a piercing scream. Veronica was struggling in the ice hole, trying to get out, but to no avail. Timur acted quickly: he grabbed a large stick, climbed down onto the thin ice and began to carefully move towards the girl, handing her the improvised rescue device. Veronica grabbed the stick with all her might, and soon Timur was able to pull her to a relatively safe area. He quickly took off his jacket, wrapped the girl, who was shivering from the cold, in it and, supporting her in his arms, headed towards the ambulance that was waiting nearby.
The girl was taken to the hospital, and Makarov was taken to the police for questioning. Timur was seriously concerned about Veronica’s condition and constantly asked her mother about her health. She reassured him, saying that everything was fine with her daughter, and she would soon return home.
Two days later, Timur could no longer bear the separation and went to the hospital. He returned not alone – together with Veronica.
“Pyotr Andreyevich, can Veronica live with us for a while? She has nowhere to go,” he asked.
It turned out that Makarov had been released – Veronica’s mother had convinced her not to file a complaint against her own father, explaining it as a temporary loss of reason. The girl agreed, so as not to aggravate the situation, but now Makarov continued to live as if nothing had happened.
Pyotr Andreyevich happily welcomed Veronica into his home. However, that same evening, he decided to pay Makarov a visit. Having met the poacher, the gamekeeper directly stated that he knew the whole truth: about the traps, about illegal hunting and the sale of wild animal meat to restaurants. He warned Makarov to leave Veronica alone and stop threatening her, otherwise all the information would end up in the police. The poacher only sneered contemptuously in response.
Meanwhile, warm feelings developed between Timur and Veronica. They spent all their free time together, and Pyotr Andreyevich immediately realized that their romance would soon lead to marriage. And so it happened: in the spring, Veronica gave birth to a charming girl, and soon after, Timur proposed to her. For Pyotr Andreyevich, this was a real gift of fate – his lonely house was filled with new life: children’s laughter, conversations and joy.
But fate taught Makarov a different lesson. One day, during another “hunt”, he got so carried away chasing a wolf that he himself fell into one of his traps, set a month ago. A piercing pain pierced his leg, and he realized that he was stuck. For several hours he tried to free himself, but all attempts were in vain. Already preparing for the worst, he heard familiar footsteps.
It was Pyotr Andreyevich, making his evening rounds of the territory. Seeing the suffering man, the ranger helped him without hesitation: he deftly freed him from the trap and dragged him home, where he called an ambulance. This incident changed Makarov dramatically. He personally walked around the entire forest, dismantled all his traps and never set them again. After some time, he came to Pyotr Andreyevich’s house, sincerely asked for forgiveness for his actions. He was received with understanding and even introduced to his little granddaughter, giving him a chance to correct the past. Now Makarov has become a different person, and life in the forestry industry continued its harmonious flow.
