"You'd better hide."
"Oh, for pete's sake--"
"Dad isn't going to walk into your open arms."
The warden said grimly, "All right. But if he doesn't come, there'll be
one Harkness hide tacked to the old barn door and it won't be your
dad's."
He slipped in behind Glory Rock and it was as though he'd never been.
Ted was left alone with the keening breeze, the murmuring trees and the
Mahela. He looked across at the beech scrub where Al was supposed to
hide, where he might even now be hiding, and saw nothing. He shivered
slightly--and knew that he was lost if Thornton didn't come.
Then he was sure that Thornton was not coming ... but when he looked at
his watch it was only five minutes to eight. There simply hadn't been
time.... Mentally Ted ticked another hour off. However, his watch said
that only seven minutes had passed and he stopped looking at it.
Forty-eight hours later, which his faulty watch said was only
forty-eight minutes, he looked down the valley and saw motion.
Ted stood very still in front of Glory Rock, and a prayer went up from
his heart.... When the approaching man was very near he said, "Hello,
Thornton."
Carl Thornton stopped, and for a moment shocked surprise ruled his face.
But it was only for a moment. He replied coolly, "Hello, Harkness."
"I see," Ted observed, "that you got my message?"
"Message?"
"The one Nels Anderson gave you at seven o'clock this morning. The one
that sent you up here."
"What are you talking about?"
"This--and I found it within six feet of where you're standing. Now do
you think it could be the bullet that went through Smoky Delbert?"
Ted took from his pocket the bullet he had dug out of Pythias and held
it up between thumb and forefinger. Again, but only for an almost
imperceptible part of a second, Carl Thornton's composure deserted him.
Then, once more, he was the master of Crestwood and as such he had no
association with ordinary residents of the Mahela. He said scornfully,
"Give me that bullet."
"Well now, I just don't think I will. The Sheriff, the State Police--and
maybe others--will sure be interested as all get out. You'll have some
explaining to do, Thornton, and _can you explain_?"
"I want that bullet!"
"Why do you want it, Thornton?"
"Give me that bullet!"
"Not so fast. I might _sell_ it to you. What's it worth for you to have
it?"
Carl Thornton's laugh carried an audible sneer. "You slob! You hill
monkey! You're even lower than I thought! Sell the evidence that would
clear your own father for money!"
"Then you _did_ shoot Smoky!"
"I want that bullet!"
"Come take it."
"I'll do just that."
Ted balanced on the balls of his feet, a grin of sheerest delight on his
face. Thornton was bigger than he--and heavier--and he was moving like a
trained boxer. But because his back was turned, he did not see Tammie
burst from the scrub beech and race him down. Tammie went into the air.
His flying body struck squarely and Carl Thornton took two involuntary
forward steps. He fell face downwards and rolled over to shield his
throat with his right arm. Tammie's bared fangs gleamed an inch away and
Thornton's voice was muffled.
"Call him off! I'll give you a thousand dollars for the bullet!"
"No, thanks," Ted said evenly, "and I wouldn't move if I were you.
Anyway, I wouldn't move too far or fast. Tammie might get nervous." He
raised his voice. "All right, Loring, I think he'll tell you the rest
now."
Ted scarcely noticed when Loring Blade came out from behind Glory Rock
because his whole attention was centered on the man who emerged from the
beech scrub. Al Harkness was lean as a wolf. His ragged hair had been
hacked as short as possible with a hunting knife and his beard was
bushy. His tattered clothing was held together with strips of deerskin,
fox pelt, wildcat fur and fishing line. But his step was lithe and his
eyes were clear and happy.
"Hi, Ted!"
"Hello, Dad!"
They came very close and looked at each other, saying with their eyes
all that which, for the moment, they could find no words to express....
Then Al asked, "How you been, Son?"
"Fine! Had a swell season! As soon as you get squared around again--and
used to living like a civilized man--we can start two more camps."
"Right glad to hear it. You'll have your lodge yet."
"Might at that. How have you been?"
"Not too bad." Al grinned his old grin. "Not too bad at all."
"Hey!" Loring Blade called plaintively. "Call your dog, will you? I've
told him six times to get away so I can start taking this guy to jail
and all he does is growl louder!"
Ted turned and snapped his fingers.
"Come on, Tammie. Come on up here and join your family."