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it with a phony name？〃
〃Maybe it was a joke；〃 Miss Leon said。
Maybe it was a joke； McKee thought。 If it is； I'll kill the smirking bastard。
〃I thought of that； too；〃 McKee said； 〃But last night； sometime after midnight； I saw a man sneaking up on our tent。 Had a wolf skin over his head。〃 He had planned not to mention the wolf skin； thinking it might frighten her； or merely make the entire episode seem more ludicrous。 But he blurted it out。
〃Is that how you got that awful bruise？ Did he hit you？〃
The sympathy in her voice made McKee feel about seven years old。
〃No。 No；〃 he said； impatiently。 〃I fell on a rock。〃
Miss Leon slowed the Volks and shifted into low gear to make her way across a bed of rocks。
〃Your hand's hurt； too；〃 Miss Leon said。
〃I'd like you to drive back to Shoemaker's；〃 McKee said。 〃When you get there； tell Shoemaker that something happened to Canfield and ask him to call Chinle and get the Law and Order boys to send someone in here to help look。〃
McKee made a wry face。
〃Or； if you meet Canfield on your way to Shoemaker's； just forget the whole thing。〃 He laughed。 Tell Canfield you met some kind of nut up the canyon named Bergen McKee。〃
〃All right；〃 Miss Leon said。 She glanced at the right hand held rigidly inside his shirt front。 〃How badly。。。〃
Immediately ahead of them around an abrupt bend of the canyon； there was the whining sound of a motor running at a high speed。
〃Stop a minute；〃 McKee said； but Miss Leon was already braking the car。
As he reached across with his left hand for the door handle； he brushed the injured finger and felt suddenly sick and weak as a fresh wave of pain engulfed his brain。 He swung his legs out of the Volks and sat for a moment； head down； while the dizziness passed。 He heard Miss Leon opening her door。
〃I'll go see what's going on；〃 he said。 〃You wait here。〃 He realized； with self…disgust； that the words came slowly and his voice was thick。 When he got to his feet she was already out of the car。 Let it go； he thought。 He didn't feel like arguing。
It was less than fifty yards to the canyon bend but McKee had identified the sound before they reached it。 He was almost certain it was a winch working。 His first glance around the rocky point confirmed this guess。 Some five hundred yards downstream the canyon bent sharply to the north through a narrow defile。 Here a section of the undercut cliff had collapsed； tumbling huge blocks of rimrock to the canyon floor。 Just beyond this pile of talus； McKee saw a gray Land…Rover parked。 A cable from the winch reel on its front bumper was attached to a ponderosa pine carried into the canyon by the landslide。 The massive trunk of the long…dead tree was being swung slowly across the canyon。
〃Looks like we walk out；〃 McKee said softly。
〃What in the world is he doing？〃
〃He's blocking us in with that tree。〃
〃He is； isn't he？〃 She said it in a very small voice。
McKee couldn't see the man in the Land…Rover very well。 He was wearing a black hat and there was something which might be a rifle barrel jutting at an angle out of the side window。 The high whining noise of the winching operation had apparently covered the sound of their approach。
〃Let's go；〃 McKee said。 〃We'll drive back up the canyon and find one of those run…in washes； and climb out of here。〃
The sound of the winch stopped just as they reached the car。 There was a long moment of silence as they climbed into the Volkswagen； and then the sound began again。 McKee motioned for Miss Leon to start the motor。
〃Quietly as you can；〃 he said。 〃Don't race the motor and get it into second quick as possible。〃
She said nothing； driving petently and； McKee noticed out of the side of his eye； occasionally biting her lower lip。
〃But why would that man want to block the road？〃 she asked suddenly。 〃Do you think we should just drive down there and ask him to let us through？〃
〃I don't think so；〃 McKee said。 He felt very； very tired。
〃Was that the man you saw last night？ The man with the wolf skin？〃
〃I don't know。 I guess it is。〃
A half mile up the canyon he had her turn off the ignition。 From far behind them there still came the high whine of the winch； a faint sound now。
〃Anyway； he can't follow us；〃 Miss Leon said。 She smiled at McKee。 〃He's on the wrong side of his roadblock。〃
〃That's right；〃 McKee said。 But he knew it wasn't right。 He had to work the winch from the down side because the tree top was pointing upstream。 He'll simply swing the trunk downstream far enough so he can drive past it and then re…attach his winch line from the upstream side and pull it back in place across the canyon。 He'll drive in and close the gate behind him。 McKee wondered if Land…Rovers had four…wheel drive。 He was almost certain they did。 The Land…Rover could go anyplace the Volks could go； and lots of places it couldn't。 The sense of urgency returned； and his hand and cheekbone began throbbing in harmony。
〃Is your hand broken？〃
〃No；〃 McKee said。 〃Sprained my little finger。〃
She looked at him。 The sympathy in her eyes embarrassed him and he looked away。 〃But it hurts a lot；〃 she said。 〃It would feel better if you let me bandage it。〃
〃I think we better keep going；〃 McKee said。 〃We'll drive up to our camp and get some water and stuff and find us a place we can climb out of here。〃
〃Maybe Dr。 Canfield will be back now；〃 she said。 〃That is； if he didn't go out to Shoemaker's。〃
〃Maybe so。〃
She still thinks I'm imagining a lot of this； McKee thought。 That was good； in a way。 No reason to frighten her more than he already had as long as she would cooperate。 And yet it would be easier； somehow； if she shared his knowledge of danger。
Canfield was not at the camp。 Nor was there any sign he had been there since McKee had left it。 McKee hurriedly filled his canteen。 He couldn't find Canfield's。 It was probably in the camper truck。 His papers were still on the folding table in the tent。 If the man had examined them he had taken some care not to disarrange them。 He pushed two cans of meat into his pocket； pushed the canteen into the front of his shirt； and picked up a box of crackers。 What else would they need？ He thought of the can opener on his pocket knife； found it beside his typewriter； and dropped it into his shirt pocket。 His pickup； it occurred to him suddenly； would be better than the Volks。 They could run it much farther up a side canyon…maybe even get it to the top。 He trotted to the truck； switched on the ignition and kicked the starter。 Nothing happened。 He kicked the starter again and then he remembered seeing the man raising the hood。 He raised the hood himself and looked down at the motor。 The spark…plug wires were missing。 He may be crazy； McKee thought as he trotted back to the Volks； but he's sure efficient。
〃O。K。；〃 he told Miss Leon； 〃we'll drive up the canyon about a mile。 There's a place up there we can turn up a side canyon。 We'll drive up it as far as this Volks will go and then we'll climb out。〃
Miss Leon was driving very slowly。 McKee looked at her impatiently。
〃Better speed it up。〃
Miss Leon was biting her lip again。
〃Dr。 McKee。 Really。 Don't you think we should wait there at camp？〃 She looked at him； her face determined。 〃I'm sure Dr。 Canfield will be ing back soon； and if he doesn't。。。 that man we saw down the canyon； I'm sure that man would help us。〃
Oh； God； McKee thought。 Now I've got trouble with her。
〃You can't possibly climb out of this canyon and walk all the way back to Shoemaker's with your head hurt like that。 We're going back。〃
〃Do you know why that pickup of mine wouldn't start？〃
Miss Leon looked at him again。
〃Why not？〃
〃Our friend had pulled the wires off the spark plugs。〃
She doesn't believe it； McKee thought。 He felt suddenly dizzy with fatigue and pain。
〃Look；〃 he said。 〃If we had time； I'd take you back there and show you。 But we don't have time。〃 His voice was fierce。 〃Now drive and keep driving until I tell you to turn right。〃
Miss Leon drove； looking straight ahead。 McKee looked at her profile。 Her face was angry； but there was no sign of fear。 It would be better if she was a little afraid； he thought； and he tried to think of what he might say。 The pain in his hand had bee suddenly like a knife through his knuckles； making concentration impossible。 He inched it carefully out of his shirt front。 The finger was rigid now； turning a bluish color； and the swelling had spread up the palm to the heel of his hand。 He heard her sudden； sharp intake of breath。
〃You need a doctor；〃 Miss Leon said。 〃That hand's broken。〃
McKee put the hand carefully back inside his shirt； irritated at himself for giving her a chance to see it。
〃It's just a dislocated knuckle。 The swelling makes it look worse than it is。〃
〃This is absolutely insane。 I'm going to turn around and we're going back where you're camped and soak that hand。〃 She started slowing the Volks。
McKee put his boot on top of her foot on the accelerator and pressed。 The little car jerked forward and she pulled at the wheel to control it。
〃Now get this straight；〃 McKee said。 His voice was angry and he spaced the words for emphasis。 〃I had a hard day yesterday。 I was up all night。 I'm ti