Pausing to listen for voices, all I heard was the forest silence and scattered raindrops dripping off the trees.

Now, I'd like to tell you that I found the women and escorted them safely back to a tearful reunion with their companion. But what happened was much more subtle. You are going to have to draw your own conclusions about the events of this strange day--and later.

When I finally arrived back at the trailhead, my van was the only vehicle in the small parking lot and all was quiet. I figured I would never know the outcome of my search and prepared to leave. Then I noticed a small note attached to the driver's side rear view mirror. It read: "Thank You, Sir. We are fine. My mother is old & gets nervous."

So I figured my time was well spent, doing something I would do for anyone in the same situation as the old and scared woman. I drove off, needing to find a place to camp for the night.

Then, half a mile down the gravel road, I glimpsed a movement a short ways down a logging road--just a hundred feet or less from me. I stopped the van and backed up to where I had seen the creature: it was a coyote! Backing up my van is usually enough to send a coyote running. Instead, the coyote simply gazed back at me. I looked at it for a long time, expecting it to flee; but instead, it looked back into my eyes. Rather than fleeing, it sat down like a dog and gazed back at me. I finally thought to grab my camera, roll down the window, and point a long telephoto lens at the coyote. I had it in the viewfinder, but couldn't focus and take the exposure reading before the animal decided that it was time to move on. But instead of fleeing, the coyote simply moved quietly into the forest shadows and disappeared from my sight.

I was left trembling with excitement. This was the first coyote I had seen in Michigan, and it had been unafraid of me. I drove on, thinking about the old Indian woman with her haunting cries for her loved ones--and about the coyote's unusual behavior.

If that had been the end of the story, it would have been quite enough. But there are two addendums to this true tale.

......to read more......click here