The night was not disturbed by any further alarms, and they were all up bright and early the next morning, with fine appetites.
"The big bird, or whatever it was, didn't steal any of us," remarked Jack as he was washing for breakfast. "I hope it didn't steal the ram I shot yesterday. We must go after that meat as soon as we have breakfast."
Leaving Budge and Long Gun in camp, the others went to where Jack and Nat had slain the ram. It was quite a long ride, and they took their time.
"Look here, Jack," called Nat, as, riding slightly in advance, he was first to arrive at where the carcass had been tied in a tree. "Something's been here at it. There's none of it left."
"Do you mean that?" cried Jack, riding up.
The boys dismounted and went closer to the tree. There was no doubt but that the choice portions of the ram were gone. And at the foot of the tree the dirt was trampled down as if whatever it was that had stolen the meat had been put to considerable trouble to get it.
"Look where he climbed the tree. The bark's torn off with his claws, and you can see the marks of his paws in the soft dirt."
"That's right," agreed Nat. "Lopsided lollypops! but it must have been a big one, too! Look where the first marks of his claws begin," and he pointed to abrasions in the bark a good distance above the ground.
"Do bears eat meat?" asked Bony, cracking all his finger knuckles excitedly.
"Sometimes, I believe," answered Jack. "Anyway, if the bear that stole my ram didn't get it for himself he must have pulled it down for some friends of his."
"Here are the marks of footsteps," went on Jack, "and they aren't ours, either. Look, whoever made these had heavy boots with hobnails in them, made in the shape of an arrow."
He pointed to the ground. There, in addition to the paw-marks left by the bear, were footprints, clearly to be seen, and it needed but a glance to show that they had not been made by any of the boys or Long Gun.
"Some one--some men, that is--have been here since Nat and I were here yesterday," went on Jack. "Either they or the bear took the ram."
"Maybe they were the men we heard yelling last night," suggested Nat.
"Yes, and maybe they have a trained bear, that goes around stealing meat for them," added Sam with a laugh.