The Thinking Rocks by C. Allan Butkus Page A

listening, and her nose constantly sampling the air
for information. After a few miles she noticed vultures circling high in the
sky, she paused and tested the air. There was the faint hint of death in the
air. She changed her course and moved toward the circling vultures.  Where
there are vultures, death will be found.  As she neared the site of their
interest, she saw some of them feeding on a dead mammoth calf.  Rechecking
the air for signs of danger, she could only detect the stale scent of the saber
tooth cat and the rotten smell of the vultures.  The cat had probably killed
the calf. She continued her survey of the kill and the brush around it. 
There was no apparent danger so she walked into the meadow toward the dead
calf.  The sun had not started to set; she knew that the saber tooth would
return to the kill when it was dark.
    A huge black vulture on the dead
calf's shoulder was the first to notice her approach.  It spread its
wings, hunched its back, and then snaking its grotesque head in and out, it
started squawking a warning to stay away.  The hide of the calf was quite
thick and was covered with a coat of coarse hair.  The vultures were
having a difficult time getting at something to eat.  Most of them ignored
the warning and continued tearing at a hole in the calf's side.  Some of
them had been able to drag out a slimy rope of intestines and were fighting
over the treasure.  Others were working on the hole, trying to enlarge it.
    The she-wolf got within twenty yards
of the calf.  The smell of the vultures was almost more than her sensitive
nose could stand.  The only thing that kept her there was the hunger in
her belly and knowing that her pups needed food.  The vultures were filthy
creatures that smelled of the rotted meat they ate.  They vomited
frequently and clambered around with slim dripping from their beaks and
feet.   They were dangerous with their huge, jagged talons, sharp
beaks and their ability to fly. Their long necks were without feathers and
appeared to be snakelike with a nightmare head.  As dangerous as they
could be, they rarely would stand and fight.  They were flock creatures
and liked to stay together at kills.
    She knew that if she could get two or
three of them to fly the others would follow.  She circled the calf
looking for a likely place to attack the flock.  The birds were becoming
more agitated as she drew nearer.  Three of them dropped to the ground and
spread their wings and made short hopping attacks at her.  She paid them
little attention because she knew they wouldn't carry through on the
attack.  They would only attack an animal that was near death or
dead.  They were trying to protect their find.  The she-wolf spotted
a likely looking area where the birds were busy feeding and paying little
attention to her.  She began barking loudly and snarling as she charged
the carcass.  The birds started squawking, and then began leaping into the
air.  The beating of their wings was mingled with angry insults.  As
most birds do when they are frightened, they voided their bowls and the air was
filled with foul smelling slimy rain.  The she-wolf had done this sort of
thing before and made sure her attack had not carried her into the foul rain.
When the area was cleared, she walked around the dead calf looking for a place
to feed.  She could again detect the scent of the saber tooth that had
killed the calf.  She sniffed at the deep claw marks on the flanks of the
calf and then sank her fangs into the hide at the claw marks.  Her sharp
fangs were able to grip the hide between the marks, and by shaking her head;
she was able to tear some of the hide away.  Continuing the attack on the
hide brought her a sizeable opening where she could get at the rich red meat
below.  The work was difficult, but her pups needed as much food as she
could bring them. The hide and the meat captured her attention, and she didn't
hear or smell the approach of the saber tooth as