Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 "So tell me, Greg," Cassie said, looking sweetly at the manager who'd greeted them earlier that afternoon. "When exactly do these grizzlies show up here?" Mel and Steve stood behind her, with painted-on smiles. They were pretending to be all excited to see the grizzlies eating from the dump. If Greg knew

how they really felt, he might not be truthful with them. Mel felt like a spy. "Oh, the grizzlies come every single night," Greg said, neatening a stack of papers on his desk. "They'll be here when it gets dark. We'll make an announcement." "We've been hearing all about it," Steve said lightly. "I'm surprised the rangers haven't put a stop to it… and, uh, you know, ruined everything." "Because isn't feeding wild animals supposed to be against the rules at Glacier?" Mel asked. Of course it was. There were signs everywhere: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. "Oh, the rangers know all about it," Greg said. "There were three rangers here just a few nights ago. They were out there watching when the bears came. Didn't say a word to me. And besides, they know we have no choice." "About what?" Steve asked.

"We have to dump our garbage out there. Because what else are we going to do with it? The park service gave me an incinerator back in June so we could burn our trash. But it was way too small. The thing broke after a few weeks. I kept asking for a new one. But they just ignored me." "So the park service knows all about this?" Steve asked, a little too loudly. Mel gave him a little nudge. She didn't want Greg to get suspicious. But Greg didn't seem to notice. "Sure they know. This has been going on at the chalet for years. The tourists love it. And the rangers know that. I'm just keeping up the tradition." They thanked Greg and went outside. They were barely out the door when Steve started to rant. He was seething with anger. "Did you hear that guy? Doesn't he know how dangerous this is? They're hurting the bears. And they're going to get someone killed. The park service knows? This is crazy!"

Mel's own cheeks were burning, too. "How could he not realize how wrong this is?" Cassie shushed them. "We have to stay calm. We have more work to do." She looked around. "It's time to find that dump." The dump was right where the mustache man had said it was, in the back of the chalet, down the steep, rocky hill. The big ditch was filled with bottles and cardboard boxes and cartons. The stink of rotting food rose up. It reminded Mel of the disgusting smell of Old Slim's breath when he stuck his head through the window. The sight of the garbage made Mel queasy. So she looked down at the dirt instead… and saw something else. "Look!" she said. The dirt was covered with paw prints. They were everywhere. Steve knelt down. "Grizzly."

He studied an especially huge one. It was twice the size of his hand. "See how the toes are lined up straight," he said, his finger hovering over the print. "That's how you tell a grizzly print from a black bear's. A black bear's toes are curved, like an upside-down U. And look here—" He pointed to the five dots running across the very top of the print. "These indents are the tips of the claws." "How many bears have been here?" Aunt Cassie asked. "It's hard to tell without really studying the prints," Steve said. He peered around, then walked about ten yards to the side. "But it looks like at least five different adults, and some cubs." They hiked down the grassy hill. Near the bottom, there was a small cooking grill and a fire pit. A sign said GRANITE PARK CAMPGROUND. They all stood there in shock. "They actually let people camp out here?" Mel asked, even though the answer was clear.

"The grizzlies have to pass right through here on their way up to that dump," Steve said. "This just gets crazier and crazier," Cassie muttered, shaking her head. Thinking about it made Mel's skin prickle with fear. A creeping uneasiness filled her chest. Granite Park really was in the middle of the nowhere. The closest road or ranger station was miles away. And Mel knew there were no phones way up here in the backcountry. If something happened — if someone got hurt — it would take a very long time for help to arrive.