tent."
"Sorry," said Tom. "Areas one and two down the mountain are safe. Set your rig up there."
"Sure they're safe," said the first camper. "They're filled with noisy brats and TV sets at full blast. What bear in his right mind would ever head that way? No thanks."
"Well, mister," Tom said, hardening his voice, "You just don't have any choice." The camper finished his beer can, almost threw it into the woods, and saw Tom watching. Instead, he stowed it in a black plastic garbage bag.
"On your way down," Tom added, "Make a lot of noise. You don't want to surprise any bears. Give them plenty of warning you're coming, and they'll usually move away. They're very dangerous if you jump them."
"Yeah, sure," said the second camper. "Okay, Harry, let's break camp."
"Wait a minute," said the other. He went over and stroked Tex's neck. To Tom, as if they were old friends, he said, "Listen, pal, we planned on this trip for months. Why don't you just forget you found us here? We know our way around in the woods. We're not afraid of your bear."
"Sorry," said Tom. "I can't do that."
Henry took out a twenty-dollar bill and rolled it around his finger.
"Maybe this might help loosen up your memory?"
Tom stared at the camper for a long moment, his jaw tensing with anger. Then, without a word, he dismounted, walked over to the tent and pulled up one of the corner stakes by its rope. The tent collapsed like the skin of some giant green creature.
The two campers gaped at the ranger.
Tom remounted his horse. "Mister," he said softly, "You just broke camp. And you've got exactly fifteen minutes to police up this area and get down the trail."
He waited to see if there would be an argument. There wasn't any. Henry slipped the twenty-dollar bill into his pocket furtively and turned to his partner.
"Come on," he said loudly. "You heard the man. We don't have all day."
Kelly Gordon's office at the ranger station was simple and almost militarily neat. The desk was old, of battered wood. The chairs were even older, and did not match each other. One file cabinet was taller than the other. The office looked exactly like what it was—a collection of furniture scavenged from various other offices.
The narrow screened windows fronted on a vista of trees and mountains that would have been breathtakingly beautiful if anyone in the office had ever bothered to look through them. But this was a place for business, not sightseeing, and right now, Kelly was all business.
Speaking into the telephone, he raised his voice. "Okay, I read you. Mr. Scott is not in the office. That's no surprise. He's never in the office. He's always out in the woods wearing one of his cock-eyed costumes. But this is an emergency. Use your radio to connect me with him."
He waited for an answer, and didn't like it when the voice of a young man said, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that."
Kelly said, "What are you saying? That you can't connect me with Scott, or you won't ?"
"Technically I could," the voice replied. "But Mr. Scott left strict instructions. He wasn't to be contacted unless it was a major emergency."
"Sonny," Kelly said grimly, and now his voice fought to hold down the anger that wanted to spew out. He lost the battle. "You just listen to me. We brought in the bodies of two young girls who were eaten to the bone by one of our animals. So don't throw snow about 'major emergencies.' This qualifies as one, and if you don't get me Scott on that radiophone in the next minute, you're going to be standing in the unemployment line tomorrow morning."
The voice hesitated. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, I'll try to raise Mr. Scott. Hold the line."
"That's better," said Kelly. "I'll be here."
As he waited, the door to his office opened and Allison came in. He gave her a little wave.
Her return gesture was slow. "Hi," she said.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"As right as I can be on a strict Valium diet."
"You didn't eat?"
She sat on the corner of the desk. "I don't
"Sorry," said Tom. "Areas one and two down the mountain are safe. Set your rig up there."
"Sure they're safe," said the first camper. "They're filled with noisy brats and TV sets at full blast. What bear in his right mind would ever head that way? No thanks."
"Well, mister," Tom said, hardening his voice, "You just don't have any choice." The camper finished his beer can, almost threw it into the woods, and saw Tom watching. Instead, he stowed it in a black plastic garbage bag.
"On your way down," Tom added, "Make a lot of noise. You don't want to surprise any bears. Give them plenty of warning you're coming, and they'll usually move away. They're very dangerous if you jump them."
"Yeah, sure," said the second camper. "Okay, Harry, let's break camp."
"Wait a minute," said the other. He went over and stroked Tex's neck. To Tom, as if they were old friends, he said, "Listen, pal, we planned on this trip for months. Why don't you just forget you found us here? We know our way around in the woods. We're not afraid of your bear."
"Sorry," said Tom. "I can't do that."
Henry took out a twenty-dollar bill and rolled it around his finger.
"Maybe this might help loosen up your memory?"
Tom stared at the camper for a long moment, his jaw tensing with anger. Then, without a word, he dismounted, walked over to the tent and pulled up one of the corner stakes by its rope. The tent collapsed like the skin of some giant green creature.
The two campers gaped at the ranger.
Tom remounted his horse. "Mister," he said softly, "You just broke camp. And you've got exactly fifteen minutes to police up this area and get down the trail."
He waited to see if there would be an argument. There wasn't any. Henry slipped the twenty-dollar bill into his pocket furtively and turned to his partner.
"Come on," he said loudly. "You heard the man. We don't have all day."
Kelly Gordon's office at the ranger station was simple and almost militarily neat. The desk was old, of battered wood. The chairs were even older, and did not match each other. One file cabinet was taller than the other. The office looked exactly like what it was—a collection of furniture scavenged from various other offices.
The narrow screened windows fronted on a vista of trees and mountains that would have been breathtakingly beautiful if anyone in the office had ever bothered to look through them. But this was a place for business, not sightseeing, and right now, Kelly was all business.
Speaking into the telephone, he raised his voice. "Okay, I read you. Mr. Scott is not in the office. That's no surprise. He's never in the office. He's always out in the woods wearing one of his cock-eyed costumes. But this is an emergency. Use your radio to connect me with him."
He waited for an answer, and didn't like it when the voice of a young man said, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't do that."
Kelly said, "What are you saying? That you can't connect me with Scott, or you won't ?"
"Technically I could," the voice replied. "But Mr. Scott left strict instructions. He wasn't to be contacted unless it was a major emergency."
"Sonny," Kelly said grimly, and now his voice fought to hold down the anger that wanted to spew out. He lost the battle. "You just listen to me. We brought in the bodies of two young girls who were eaten to the bone by one of our animals. So don't throw snow about 'major emergencies.' This qualifies as one, and if you don't get me Scott on that radiophone in the next minute, you're going to be standing in the unemployment line tomorrow morning."
The voice hesitated. "I didn't know. I'm sorry, I'll try to raise Mr. Scott. Hold the line."
"That's better," said Kelly. "I'll be here."
As he waited, the door to his office opened and Allison came in. He gave her a little wave.
Her return gesture was slow. "Hi," she said.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"As right as I can be on a strict Valium diet."
"You didn't eat?"
She sat on the corner of the desk. "I don't
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