"Might as well go back," advised Carl, returning from a short, unsuccessful search. "No use of us standing around here shivering. Maybe our friend the big chief took him along."
"Perhaps he thought he was white man's property and would take him for some of the debts we owe the race," suggested Herb. "But I don't care for nothin' but the grizzly."
Two hours later, when they reached the fort, dirty, tired, muddy and damp, they found, to their great surprise, lying on the captain's front porch, stretched out at full length, the dead bear.
"Hello, fellows," shouted Captain Crawford, coming out of the house. "We were getting worried about you. Glad you showed up. The pony came back, and I see you got acquainted with a grizzly."
The ladies appeared in the doorway, while Jerry's father went over and gave the bear a push with his foot.
"That's a beaut," he exclaimed. "Who bagged him?"
"Hawke," came the instant response.
"We all did," corrected the aviator. "And we had a great time doin' it."
"Gee, we've had a corker of a day," exclaimed Jerry. "Lots of things happened."
"Get inside here now," ordered the captain, and the ladies quickly approved this advice. "Take off your wet duds. Jerry, give the boys some clean things."