mouth and chewed
thoughtfully before she answered.

"I wish I knew. All he does all day long is sit in the backyard and
stare at the grass. He insists that he is standing on top of a cliff."

Hanstark took out a small pad and a short ball-point pen. He wrote
something down before he spoke again. "Is he violent? Did he get angry
when you told him there was no cliff?"

Mrs. Nest was silent for a moment. A second piece of popcorn joined the
first. Hanstark's pen was poised above the pad. "No. He didn't get
violent."

Hanstark wrote as he asked the next question. "Just what _was_ his
reaction?"

"He said _I_ must be crazy."

"Were those his exact words?"

"No. He said that I was"-- She thought for a moment--"loco. Yes, that
was the word."

"Loco?"

"Yes. He said it just like those cowboys on the television."

Hanstark looked puzzled. "Perhaps you had better tell me more about
this. When did he first start acting this way?"

Mrs. Nest glanced up at the television set, then back at Hanstark. "It
was right after Texas Week. You remember--they showed all of those old
cowboy pictures."

Hanstark nodded.

"Well, he stayed up every night watching them. Some nights he didn't
even go to sleep. Even after the set was off, he sat in one of the
chairs, just staring at the screen. This morning, when I got up, he
wasn't in the house. I looked all over but I couldn't find him. I was
just about ready to phone the police when I glanced out the window into
the backyard. And I saw him."

"What was he doing?"

"He was just sitting there in the middle of the yard, staring. I went
out and tried to bring him into the house. He told me he had to watch
for someone. When I asked him what he was talking about he told me that
I was crazy. That was when I phoned you, Mr. Hanstark."

"A very wise move, Mrs. Nest. And would you show me where your husband
is right now?"

She nodded her head and they both got up from the chairs. They walked
through the dining-room and kitchen. On the back porch Hanstark came to
a halt.

"You'd better stay here, Mrs. Nest." He walked to the door and opened
it.

"Mr. Hanstark," Mrs. Nest called.

Hanstark turned and saw her standing next to the automatic washing
machine. "Yes?"

"Please be careful."

Hanstark smiled. "I shall be, Mrs. Nest."

He walked out the door and down three concrete steps. Looking a little
to his right, he saw a man squatted on his heels. He walked up to the
man. "You