Episode 6--Sergeant Prestleton and Prince Go All In for Love--Finally



Why are these two smiling?

 Sergeant Prestleton and his Wonder Dog Prince sat around the campfire eating beans. The night sparkled with a hint of frost on the limbs of the pines, and the stars above shone white and brilliant. But this was no ordinary trip to the wilds of the Yukon for the sergeant and his long time canine friend. The RCMP officer had been chosen to train cadets, the next generation of brave young men and women who would keep the territory safe and free from crime.

A tall, handsome, young cadet stood next to Sgt. Prestleton. The older man put his arm over the cadet's shoulder, put his face close, and pointed skyward.

"Right there, see those three stars in a row? They are Orion's Belt, and if you have a good imagination, like our ancestors, you will see the rest of the mythical hunter surrounding the belt."

Prince, lapped up the end of his bean dinner, happy for once that he didn't have the responsibility of keeping his master amused. Frankly, Prestleton could be, well, colossally boring, even to a dog.

The sergeant slapped the young man on the shoulder.

"Ah, we've got all night to look at the stars young man, unless you sleep on your stomach, huh? Ha, ha."

Prince groaned a distinctly doggy groan.

That moment a tall, graceful figure entered the scene, and sat next to the campfire.

"Cadet Fox," the sergeant said. "I was just telling Cadet McKenzie here about Orion the Hunter."

Cadet Fox, smiled--removed the RMCP hat, and shook out her beautiful dark hair. She looked up at Sgt. Prestleton, the dancing flames from the campfire reflected in her eyes. She said, "How interesting."

The older man began to stammer. Finally, he managed, "My God."

Prestleton's face showed alarm. "Oh, oh, I'm so sorry for cursing. What on earth made me say something like that? Really, Miss Fox--I mean Cadet Fox, I never ever curse like that. What you must think."

"Quite all right sergeant," she said. "We are in the wilds after all. Bivouacked so to speak. I'm sure we'll hear worse from the criminals."

The officer kept staring at the young woman, ignoring his other trainee who now sat near the campfire.

Prestleton said, "Um, er, indeed. Terrible language from those miscreants, but no excuse, none at all for me. How can I ever apologize enough?"

Cadet Fox smiled.

Prince the Wonder Dog chuckled, a very human chuckle. The dog said, "Well, I'll be damned."

Cadet McKenzie's eyes got wide. "Prince, you talked."

"Don't be silly," the sergeant said. "Dogs don't talk." He sat down next his female trainee.

"So, tell me about the stars," she said.

"While I am being inappropriate Cadet," Sergeant Prestleton said. "May I say, you are stunning."

The moon rose. Shooting stars streaked across the sky. And Cadet Fox, with her big, beautiful eyes looked at the older man, and said, "Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?"

The sergeant blushed.

Cadet McKenzie, unrolled his sleeping roll, lay down, and closed his eyes.

Prince the Wonder Dog set his head on his paws.

The sergeant and his beautiful trainee, leaned back against a log. He pointed up, "So those stars, right there. They form the mythical flying horse Pegasus."

Cadet Fox moved closer to her mentor. "Beautiful," she said.

THE END