“You don’t believe that mounted police story yourself!” declared Jimmie. “They don’t look like mounted policemen, either!”
“I hardly know what to believe,” Carl replied, “but I’ve got sense enough not to let them know that I’m still guessing.”
Jimmie returned to the fire with the coffee and sat down on the grass not far from the visitors. While Ben prepared supper one of the men walked out to the carcass of the grizzly and began removing the hide.
Carl rushed up to his side and stood looking down at the clumsy manner in which the fellow was operating.
“Say,” the boy proposed in a moment, “why can’t we all have bear steak for supper? We boys had supper not long ago, but I think I could eat a bear steak right now!”
The man looked up with a puzzled expression.
“Bear steak for supper?” he repeated. “You don’t eat bear meat, do you?”
“Would a duck take to the water?” asked Carl. “Of course we eat bear meat! Sometimes it’s a little tough, unless you know exactly how to cook it, but I can broil a bear steak so it’ll melt in your mouth!”
“Then do so by all means!” the visitor answered.
Carl removed several tender steaks, took them back to the fire and then called Jimmie to one side.