of it.
Charlie looked Steve over again as if trying to decide the answer. “Mister, are you gonna order anything?”
Steve knew he’d better answer. “Yes. A beer would be fine.”
Charlie looked at the big guy standing there. “No trouble.”
The big guy was still eyeing Steve suspiciously, wanting trouble. He was a rugged man with stubble on his face and beer on his breath. He was leaning close, forcing himself into Steve’s space, sizing him up. Steve didn’t want a fight. It was a waste of time and energy.
Charlie volunteered, “Doug, this guy studies bears. He’s from a university.”
At that, the man laughed. “Oh. A university.” That had to mean wimp, Steve thought. “So what are you doing here?”
Charlie brought the beer. Steve paid for it and then faced the man called Doug who hadn’t budged from his spot. He took time for one swallow of beer, then formally introduced himself and his reason for being there.
“It was a bear,” Doug said. “It happens around here.” Then he stood there, waiting for Steve to agree and leave.
“But we still need to know which bear. We shot Herman, but do you know of any bear besides Herman who might be responsible? Have you or any of your friends sighted any other bears around that aren’t afraid of people or like to raid campsites?” Steve was asking about bears, but hoping some other sliver of information might come out—anything at all.
Doug just shrugged.
Steve looked at the other man, still seated with the woman. “Hi. I’m Steve.”
“I’m Kyle,” answered the young man. Then he gestured with his beer bottle toward the woman. “This is Carlotta.”
Steve nodded toward the woman, and she cocked her head and looked him over warily. Steve turned back to Kyle. “What do you think, Kyle? Ever had anything like this happen around here before?”
Kyle seemed a bit unnerved by the subject. “Sure. I haven’t seen anything, but there’s plenty of people around here who have. They just don’t talk about it much.”
“Shut up!” Doug snapped.
“What’d I say?”
“Just don’t say anything!” Doug roared, and Kyle fell silent.
Steve raised his arms slightly in quiet diplomacy. “Fine. Fine. No offense intended.”
“Come on, Doug,” Carlotta beckoned. “Just leave him alone.” Doug rejoined her and Kyle at the table to finish his sandwich and beer but not before giving Steve a warning glare.
By now, the three men playing pool were watching to see if there’d be any action. The guy named Paul, still sitting at the other end of the bar, only stole sideways glances.
Steve asked Charlie, “May I sit down?”
Charlie shrugged. “Sit.”
One of the three pool players took a shot; the balls clacked and rolled. Paul went back to his beer. Kyle and Carlotta resumed their conversation, and the jukebox kept playing. Doug kept watching Steve.
Steve chose a small, two-person table a little farther back and close enough to another patron to engage him in conversation. This guy was older, bearded, with a large, barrel-shaped body and big, muscular arms. He sat alone at a hand-hewn burl table, eating a hefty lunch and apparently having a conversation with someone who wasn’t there.
Steve caught his eye and smiled in a neighborly fashion. “Hi.”
The bearded fellow cocked his head and gave Steve a look that carried a lecture in itself. “Mister,” he said in a low, gravelly voice, “if I were you, I’d settle for the bear.”
Steve made a tiny mental note about how all these people were overstating the obvious. Then he leaned closer and spoke in a quiet voice. “But which bear? Do you know of any other rogue bear around here, some bear Fish and Game may not be aware of ?”
The man had raised his hand to say hold it. “You’re in the wrong place to be asking a lot of questions. If Herman did it, then let it go at that.” He turned back to his lunch and prepared to take another bite of his sandwich, not looking at Steve as he
Charlie looked Steve over again as if trying to decide the answer. “Mister, are you gonna order anything?”
Steve knew he’d better answer. “Yes. A beer would be fine.”
Charlie looked at the big guy standing there. “No trouble.”
The big guy was still eyeing Steve suspiciously, wanting trouble. He was a rugged man with stubble on his face and beer on his breath. He was leaning close, forcing himself into Steve’s space, sizing him up. Steve didn’t want a fight. It was a waste of time and energy.
Charlie volunteered, “Doug, this guy studies bears. He’s from a university.”
At that, the man laughed. “Oh. A university.” That had to mean wimp, Steve thought. “So what are you doing here?”
Charlie brought the beer. Steve paid for it and then faced the man called Doug who hadn’t budged from his spot. He took time for one swallow of beer, then formally introduced himself and his reason for being there.
“It was a bear,” Doug said. “It happens around here.” Then he stood there, waiting for Steve to agree and leave.
“But we still need to know which bear. We shot Herman, but do you know of any bear besides Herman who might be responsible? Have you or any of your friends sighted any other bears around that aren’t afraid of people or like to raid campsites?” Steve was asking about bears, but hoping some other sliver of information might come out—anything at all.
Doug just shrugged.
Steve looked at the other man, still seated with the woman. “Hi. I’m Steve.”
“I’m Kyle,” answered the young man. Then he gestured with his beer bottle toward the woman. “This is Carlotta.”
Steve nodded toward the woman, and she cocked her head and looked him over warily. Steve turned back to Kyle. “What do you think, Kyle? Ever had anything like this happen around here before?”
Kyle seemed a bit unnerved by the subject. “Sure. I haven’t seen anything, but there’s plenty of people around here who have. They just don’t talk about it much.”
“Shut up!” Doug snapped.
“What’d I say?”
“Just don’t say anything!” Doug roared, and Kyle fell silent.
Steve raised his arms slightly in quiet diplomacy. “Fine. Fine. No offense intended.”
“Come on, Doug,” Carlotta beckoned. “Just leave him alone.” Doug rejoined her and Kyle at the table to finish his sandwich and beer but not before giving Steve a warning glare.
By now, the three men playing pool were watching to see if there’d be any action. The guy named Paul, still sitting at the other end of the bar, only stole sideways glances.
Steve asked Charlie, “May I sit down?”
Charlie shrugged. “Sit.”
One of the three pool players took a shot; the balls clacked and rolled. Paul went back to his beer. Kyle and Carlotta resumed their conversation, and the jukebox kept playing. Doug kept watching Steve.
Steve chose a small, two-person table a little farther back and close enough to another patron to engage him in conversation. This guy was older, bearded, with a large, barrel-shaped body and big, muscular arms. He sat alone at a hand-hewn burl table, eating a hefty lunch and apparently having a conversation with someone who wasn’t there.
Steve caught his eye and smiled in a neighborly fashion. “Hi.”
The bearded fellow cocked his head and gave Steve a look that carried a lecture in itself. “Mister,” he said in a low, gravelly voice, “if I were you, I’d settle for the bear.”
Steve made a tiny mental note about how all these people were overstating the obvious. Then he leaned closer and spoke in a quiet voice. “But which bear? Do you know of any other rogue bear around here, some bear Fish and Game may not be aware of ?”
The man had raised his hand to say hold it. “You’re in the wrong place to be asking a lot of questions. If Herman did it, then let it go at that.” He turned back to his lunch and prepared to take another bite of his sandwich, not looking at Steve as he
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