o her and put one hand on her shoulder.

"I wouldn't lie to you. It wasn't him."

She seemed to relax for the first time since last night.

"I guess you're telling the truth. I wish Bill would come home, though.
They used to say that anyone who saw the phantom buck was getting ready
for an early death."

* * * * *

Norm Boody came up from the barn with two steaming pails of milk. Roy
Starr was getting dressed in the kitchen, close to the stove. He was
muttering threats against his brother, Glenn.

"Never let a guy sleep," he groaned. "Always the first guy up and the
only man on earth who can't let other people stay in bed when they want
to."

Glenn Starr and Marjorie were already at the breakfast table. The others
drifted in and sat down. A girl and a husky, sleepy-eyed man came down
from upstairs. Roy Starr greeted the girl by chasing her around the
stove and left her alone only after she picked up the poker and
threatened to use it on him.

Robinson introduced the fifth member of the hunting party at the
breakfast table.

"Pete Larson hasn't hunted before," he said. "Pete, you know our own
bunch. You know Norm and Mrs. Boody now. The tall, fair damsel holding
the coffee pot is Norma, Mrs. Boody's best assistant housekeeper and
daughter. The sleepy eyed creature at her side is her husband, Floyd."

Larson himself was heavy set, and a slightly ponderous man who wore
light rimmed glasses and a rather awed look on his face.

"I guess I've let myself in for some rugged country and some heavy
eating," he said. "Anyhow, I always did like a fifth cup of coffee and
the supply looks adequate."

"It _was_ rugged last night, all right," Roy Starr said.

Instantly there was silence. Norma, the tall, slim girl, looked at her
mother questioningly.

Robinson broke in before she had time to speak.

"We found a dead man on the road last night. Nobody we knew."

He heard Norma and her husband catch their breaths quickly. Then the
telephone rang and he was on his feet. Norm Boody was closer to the
phone and answered it. The remainder of the group went on eating, but
every ear was tuned to the conversation.

"Yes?"

He listened for a time, then said:

"I got a party of hunters who came in last night. They saw him on the
road. We tried to call you but the wires were dead."

Then:

"Oh? So that was it. Okay, we'll keep an eye open. Haven't seen Bill,
have you? He's coming in behind