the plough? Good. We were worried about
him."

"Telephone linemen came through this morning," he explained. "They
picked up the body. That was Sheriff Walt Beardsly calling. He ain't
blaming you boys. Says your tracks went right around the body. Says a
bear must have mauled the guy. They found his gun in the ditch."

Earl Robinson said:

"Yea, that's what happened all right. Bill's okay, isn't he?"

Boody nodded.

"Spent the night at the sheriff's house. Couldn't drive in. He's coming
in a couple of hours."

Mrs. Boody went out for some more coffee. Larson, managing a smile,
said:

"Guess we can go hunting without worrying about anything--except bear."

Norma tickled her husband between well padded ribs.

"Take Floyd along. He'll chase all the bears to the other side of the
mountain."

Floyd grinned.

"Guess you boys can take care of yourselves."

Roy Starr hadn't taken an active part in the conversation for some time.
He brought his fist down on the table with a bang.

"To hell with the phantom," he stood up. "Ten minutes ago you were all
tied up inside with a damned silly superstition. Now you're kidding
yourselves that everything is okay. You're _still_ ready to believe in
ghosts and goblins at a moment's notice. What's the matter? We all too
scared to think clearly for ourselves?"

Robinson got up.

"Come on, Roy," he said. "Let's go out and get chains on the car. We'll
need them to make that south hill."

Roy Starr was trembling. Something had slipped inside him. Something
that made him angry at all of them. Who did they think he was? Could
they handle him like a ten year old kid?

"You want to lead Junior outside and give him a lecture," he snapped.
"Please don't scare these good people. Well, you can all go to hell. I'm
going after a deer. If it turns out to be the phantom buck, I'll get
_him_. I'm going alone and I don't need you or the car or anything else.
I still got two good feet."

They sat there and watched him go. Robinson sat down a little weakly.
They heard Roy pick up his rifle in the kitchen and waited until his
footsteps faded beyond the woodshed.

"Well," Robinson said at last, "I guess Junior is on the warpath."

* * * * *

Glenn Starr looked at his watch. He halted in the protection of the
evergreen grove and turned his back to the wind. Marjorie Wrenn caught
up with him.

"Better rest," Glenn said. "It's after noon."

He found some sa