Chapter Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four Summary

Chapter Twenty-Three: Mickey plans to trick Jared into wasting his three remaining bullets, then jump him. Jared is drunk and restless. Mickey pretends he hears a bear and he points to some moving branches. Branches are moving everywhere, due to the wind, but Jared says he sees. Mickey tells him to take a shot to scare the bear off, and he does. Now six feet to the right, says Mickey, and Jared fires again. He fires a third time, using the last bullet. Mickey eyes the pistol, but Jared tells him to wander over and see if the bear is gone. Mickey plays along, then he is frustrated to see Jared reloading his gun.

Derek survives his fall from the tree unharmed, but he sports many previous injuries: the nose nip from the snapping turtle; the many...