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How Gypsy Really Died When we arrived on the scene the loggers shouted obscenities at us while someone tried to reason with them. An activist said they should stop logging until the California Department of Forestry showed up because we were told by John Marshall, director of CDF, that they would come today. Although they hadn't shown up, we thought they might soon, but the logger disagreed. Someone continued to talk calmly to him until he became aggressive and started chasing us back the way we came. The logger gave up and stood in place shouting at us and then walked back to the tree and started cutting again. We regrouped and decided to try to talk to him again. This time he seemed less angry but he threatened to fall a tree in our direction and that we had better leave. We all scrambled out of the way as the tree fell dangerously close. When we had arrived on the scene earlier the loggers had been falling trees downhill but this tree had been purposely fallen in our direction, side hill. I was hiding when I heard him start on another tree and yell out that this tree was a tall one and would easily reach us. We again regrouped and had a meeting/snack break to decide what we would do next. As we were eating we heard the next one starting to go. It sounded as though it was next to us and I froze in fear. Gypsy and another activist started to move but the tree hit the ground before they could get up. Luckily that one didn't come close enough to hurt us although if we had been sitting in its path we would not have gotten away in time. After that last one fell we decided to talk to the loggers one more time before leaving. We all got up and broke into two groups, three would be down hill, three would be uphill, slightly west of where the loggers were working, including myself and Gypsy. Another activist and Gypsy were close to the loggers and I hung back a little ways from them. We were all shouting at the logger that we were coming to talk and that he should stop cutting this tree. I then heard the tree about to fall. I dove into some underbrush and under some small trees. I looked up just in time to see a huge Douglas fir coming down nearly on top of me. The main trunk came within 10 feet of me and if I hadn't been under the small trees the Douglas fir's branches would have hit me. I brushed myself off and walked out into the steep clearing that the tree created when it fell. Almost instantly the protesters and the logger congregated on the scene. Someone was shouting at him that he could have killed us. It was then that I heard someone frantically calling out "Gypsy, Gypsy, where's Gypsy?!! He was right behind me ~. I shouted out for him but there was no answer. It was then that his body was found by the logger. He was about 15 feet farther down the slope then when I had last seen him. And when I caught sight of him I saw that he had massive head trauma. I ran all the way to Grizzly National Park to get the news out about what had happened. Gypsy died doing CDF's job. Farmer, eye witness, activist
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