"All right. Don't be so frightfully touchy. I will send Wash over with a hind leg."
"No. You will send or take a steak, as you promised. A bear's leg! The idea!"
"I don't know what you mean. A leg of lamb is considered a real delicacy where I come from, and I should think a leg of bear would be an equally delightful delicacy up here where the beast grows."
Even Miss Briggs joined in the laugh that followed, though it hurt frightfully to exercise her facial muscles.
Hippy said he would cut out a steak, but Nora decided that he must have assistance or he would be sending something that not even the mountaineers could eat. A black chunk of meat that weighed all of twelve pounds was the result of the carving. This Hippy tied up in a roll and gave to Washington to take to the Thompsons.
"Our peace offering to 'Paw,'" observed Hippy as the colored boy, with the bear meat on his shoulder, trudged away playing his harmonica. "That dance that Julie invited us to attend, comes off to-morrow night. She asked me to-day, if we were going. I said I reckoned we'd be over, and asked her if she would trip the light fantastic with me, but Julie shook her head. What about it? Do we go or stay?"
"What will we do about the camp?" wondered Grace.
"Leave it here, of course," urged Emma.
"And find it missing when we return," suggested Elfreda. "I fear that won't do at all."
"We can hide our equipment and ride the ponies over to Coon Hollow, with Laundry along on one of the mules to look after our horses when we get there," planned Lieutenant Wingate.