Page 14 of Captured on Film
Josheb dragged his hands wearily through his hair. “Definitelya bear.”
“What are we going to do?”
“What do you expect me to do?” He scratched his stomach andlooked off in the direction the beast had apparently run. “I’m not reallyequipped to hunt bear. You’re notthathungry, are you?”
Caleb’s incredulity melted into a weak laugh. “That may havebeen the farthest thing from my mind.”
Josheb set to work calming Nessie, whose fur stood out inways Caleb could sympathize with.
“I’m not sure I can sleep,” Caleb admitted. “I don’t feelsafe.”
“Want me to set you up with a hammock?” Josheb squinted intothe darkness. “Ten feet up ought to do it. Though if you go higher, you’ll havea better view of the stars.”
“So my only options are a bear mauling or plunging to mydeath?”
Josheb snorted. “I’d strap you in.”
“I amsoreassured.” Which was close to true.
Josheb’s confidence was as catching as a cold in season, andCaleb recognized the symptoms. Lack of caution. Baseless optimism. And a nigglingsuspicion that it was far too late to turn back.
Base Camp
They reached the previous group’s base camp before thesun was high.
“Looks like they left in a hurry,” remarked Josheb.
That was an understatement. Four tents sagged from theirpoles, and a fifth looked to have been trampled. A heavy pot hung from a tripodover a firepit, and the clearing was strewn with everything from clothing tocooking utensils.
“How many guys were up here?”
“Sixteen.”
“And these were shoot-first, war games types?”
“Tough as nails.” Josheb tipped an open cooler onto its sidewith his foot. “The critters have been into everything. Probably not much hopeI’ll find tracks, but I’ll try.”
“Want me to gather this up? We could bring it back with us.Offer to return it.”
Josheb snapped his fingers. “In exchange for interviews! Ilike how you think!”
Actually, Caleb had been tallying up the cost of all thisgear. Most of it looked expensive. Surely some of those men had to regret theloss.
“Stick to the plan! Before you move anything, take pictures.Map the site on a grid. That sort of thing.”
Caleb paced off one edge of the clearing and started takingnotes.
Meanwhile, Josheb began at the firepit and slowly circledhis way outward, reporting whenever he found tracks. “Squirrel. Deer. Pheasant.Ah, here’s our friend the bear again.”
“It’s the same one?”
“We’re probably in his territory.”
“Or hers?”
When Josheb didn’t answer right away, Caleb turned from histask. His brother was hunkered down, comparing the length of his hand to somethingon the ground.
“Don’t know if we’re any closer to finding what I’m lookingfor, but the squirrels sure do have big feet.”
