The Grosdidiers said nothing. It was obvious that no heroic efforts at saving life and limb would be necessary today.

The brilliant spring sun shone down without mercy, illuminating a scattering of moose droppings, an eagle feather, and a jumble of human remains. The body proved to be in several, well, actually, many pieces. There seemed to be no head. Nothing was left of the torso but a gaping hole, at the back of which the vertebrae, amazingly still attached to one another, could be individually counted. Both femurs were visible through scraps of torn flesh upon which the blood had dried hard and brown. All of the bones had bite marks, and one of the femurs had been cracked open and the marrow sucked out.

What remained had been scraped together and covered with a loose layer of dead spruce boughs, dry grass and brown leaves, and dirt. There were claw marks all around the pile, as well as bits of clothing, a dark blue flannel cuff, the waistband of what had been a pair of Levi‘s.

Kate picked up a pair of white men‘s Jockey briefs, an elastic waistband barely attached to a ripped-out crotch.

The men cringed and squeezed their knees together in a single involuntary action. Kate let her hand drop and bent a thoughtful gaze on one particular, very large set of claw marks that had ripped through a clump of moss campion, leaving four very clear parallel scars in the earth beneath.

He‘ll be napping close by, Old Sam said. When he wakes up, he‘s going to want seconds.

I don‘t know, Dan said, looks like he pretty much licked the plate clean on the first serving. He‘s probably long gone.

If Old Sam didn‘t look at the ranger with outright contempt, he did give a comprehensive snort. The Grosdidier brothers began to cast nervous glances around the clearing.

Why take the chance? Kate said. Let‘s move like we got a purpose. Get out the bags while I take some pictures. She pulled a digital camera from one pocket and took shots of the remains from every direction and several establishing shots to show them in relation to the rest of the clearing. Okay, she said, stepping back. The Grosdidier brothers produced heavy black plastic bags right out of the air, one each, and there was a concerted rush as everyone leaped to pick up the body part nearest to him and stuff it in the bag. There was no reverence displayed toward the remains and no horror or disgust, either, just a single-minded haste to finish the job and be away from the clearing as soon as humanly possible.

Okay, Matt said, scooping up an arm whose hand flopped horrifically from its wrist, that‘s it. The words were barely out of his mouth before the four brothers had vanished one and all into the undergrowth, black plastic bags slung anyhow over their shoulders.

Right behind you, buddies, Dan said to the air, and followed them.