The timing implied by the --- is definatley a dramatic pause. Part of the fun of the song was in the "drama" of anticipation being off set by the obvious nature of the answer.

The timing of your version is almost identical to what I learnt, but the Geman version here is closest to the tune

We did sing outher hunter songs, so I can pretty safely say the girls didn't change the words out of any type of political correctness.
The camp had a musical tradition going back to 1918.