Once he recovered from the change, Brance rose from the bushes, naked, and entered the hunters’ camp. Working quickly, he kicked dirt over the remnants of their fire to extinguish it. He skirted around Len’s dead body and snagged the man’s revolver where it rested unused by the fire—a glance at the chamber showed a full round of ammunition already loaded. Then Brance tore through the camp, looking for blankets and clothing. There were just the two tents—from the ripe smell of the first, he assumed it had belonged to Len, and he retreated without bothering to look through the clothing strewn across the ground. The second tent was neat inside, almost pristine; Brance found a haversack packed with bedding and a pair of pants that were a bit too snug around his hips, but they would suffice.
T
