"
"Do you like it?"
"I am hungry enough to enjoy anything."
"Well, lad, it's bear steak."
"Bear steak!" repeated Ben, in surprise.
"Exactly. I've eaten it before two or three times. You see, we
haven't any markets here to depend on, and we must take what we can
get."
"It isn't bad," said Ben meditatively.
During this conversation the landlady had been out of the room. As
it concluded, she reentered.
"Your supper is good, ma'am," said Bradley.
"Now if you only had a cow to supply you with milk and butter, you'd
be fixed complete."
"If you want 'em you'll have to go somewhere else," said the woman.
"Excuse me, ma'am. I wasn't complainin' of the fare-not by no means.
I was only thinkin' of you."
"There's no call to think of me, stranger."
"Have you lived long in these parts, ma'am?" inquired Bradley
socially.
"Fools ask questions, and fools answer them. I ain't a fool,"
responded the polite hostess.
"Excuse my curiosity, ma'am. I didn't know that it would be
disagreeable to you to answer."
"Who told you it was?"
"I thought from your way of speakin'."
"It's none of your business, that's all," said the hostess.
Even Bradley was silenced.
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