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Jeremy Canfield walked in without knocking。 〃I've got a question for you；〃 he said。 〃Where do you look on the Navajo Reservation for an electrical engineer testing his gadgets？〃
He extracted a pipe from his coat pocket and began cleaning debris from the bowl into McKee's ashtray。 〃Just one more helpful hint。 We know he has a light…green van truck。 We don't know what kind of equipment it is； but this research needs to be away from such things as electrical transmission lines； telephone wires； and stuff like that。〃
〃That helps a lot；〃 McKee said。 〃That still leaves about ninety percent of the Reservation…ninety percent of twenty…five thousand square miles。 Find one green truck in a landscape bigger than all New England。〃
〃It's this daughter of a friend of mine。 Girl named Ellen Leon；〃 Canfield said。 〃She's trying to find this bird from U。C。L。A。〃 He was a very small man； bent slightly by a spinal deformity； with a round； cheerful face made rounder by utter baldness。
〃Goddamn flatlanders never know geography。〃 Canfield said。 〃Think the Reservation's about the size of Central Park。〃
〃Why's she looking for him？〃 McKee asked。
Canfield looked pained。
〃You don't ask a woman something like that； Berg。 Just imagine it's something romantic。 Imagine she's hot for his body。〃 Canfield lit the pipe。 〃Imagine she has spurned him； he has gone away to mend a broken heart； and now she has repented。〃
Or； McKee thought； imagine she's a fool like me。 Imagine she's been left and is still too young to know it's hopeless。
〃Anyway； I told her maybe in the Chuska Range； or the Lukachukais if he liked the mountains； or the Kam Bimghi Valley if he liked the desert； or up there north of the Hopi Villages； or a couple of other places。 I marked a map for her and showed her where the trading posts were where he'd be likely to buy his supplies。〃
〃Maybe they're married；〃 McKee said。 He was interested； which surprised him。
〃Her name's Ellen Leon；〃 Canfield said with emphatic patience。 〃His is Jimmie W。 Hall； Ph。D。 Besides； no wedding ring。 From which I deduce they're not married。〃
〃O。K。； Sherlock；〃 McKee said。 〃I deduce from your attitude that this woman was about five feet five； slim； with long blackish hair and wearing。。。〃 McKee paused for thought； 〃。。。 a sort of funny…colored suit。〃
〃I deduce from that that you saw her in the hall；〃 Canfield said。 〃Anyway； I told her we'd keep our eyes open for this bird and let her know where we'd be camping so she could check。〃 He looked at McKee。 〃Where do you want to start hunting your witches？〃
McKee started to mention Leaphorn's letter and say he hadn't decided yet whether to go。 Instead he thought of the girl at the front entrance of the Anthropology Building； who had looked tired and disappointed and somehow very sad。
〃I don't know；〃 McKee said。 〃Maybe down around No Agua； or way over west of the Colorado gorge； or on the west slope of the Lukies。〃 He thought a moment。 Canfield's current project involved poking into the burial sites of the Anasazis； the pre…Navajo cliff dwellers。 There were no known sites around No Agua and only a few in the Colorado River country。 〃How about starting over in those west slope canyons in the Lukachukais？〃
〃That's good for me；〃 Canfield said。 〃If you've got some witches in there to scrutinize； there's plenty of ruins to keep me busy。 And I'll take my guitar and try to teach you how to sing harmony。〃
At the door； Canfield paused； his face suddenly serious。
〃I'm glad you decided to go； Bergen。 I think you need。。。〃 He stopped； catching himself on the verge of invading a zone of private grief。 〃I think maybe I should ask a guarantee that your witches won't get me。〃 It came out a little lamely； not hiding the embarrassment。
〃My Navajo Wolves； being strictly psychotherapeutic； are certified harmless；〃 McKee said。 He pulled open a desk drawer； rummaged through an assortment of paper clips； carved bones； arrow heads and potsherds； and extracted an egg…sized turquoise stone； formed roughly in the shape of a crouching frog。 He tossed it to Canfield。
〃Reed Clan totem；〃 McKee said。 〃One of the Holy People。 Good for fending off corpse powder。 No self…respecting Navajo Wolf will bother you。 I guarantee it。〃
〃Ill keep it with me always；〃 Canfield said。
The words would e back to McKee later； e back to haunt him。
Chapter 4
Bergen McKee had spent most of the afternoon in the canvas chair beside the front door in Shoemaker's。 It was a slow day for trading and only a few of The People had e in。 But McKee had collected witchcraft rumors from three of them； and had managed to extract the names of two Navajos who might know more about it。 It was； he felt； a good beginning。
He glanced at Leaphorn。 Joe was leaning against the counter； listening patiently to another of the endless stories of Old Man Shoemaker； and McKee felt guilty。 Leaphorn had insisted that he needed to go to the trading post…that he had； in fact； delayed the call to take McKee along…but more likely it was a convenient piece of made…work to do a friend a graceful favor。
〃There is a young man back in there we want to pick up；〃 Leaphorn had said。 He pushed a file folder across the desk。 〃He cut a Mexican in Gallup last month。〃
The file concerned someone named Luis Horseman； aged twenty…two； son of Annie Horseman of the Red Forehead Clan。 Married to Elsie Tso； daughter of Lilly Tso of the Many Goats Clan。
Residence； Sabito Wash； twenty…seven miles south of Klagetoh。 The file included three arrest reports； for drunk and disorderly； assault and battery； and driving while under the influence of narcotics。 The last entry was an account of the knifing in a Gallup bar and of a car stolen and abandoned after the knifing。
〃What makes you think he's over in the Lukachukai country？〃 McKee had asked。 〃Why not back around Klagetoh with his wife？〃
〃It isn't very plicated；〃 Leaphorn had said。 Horseman probably thought he had killed the Mexican and was scared。 His in…laws detested him。 Horseman would know that and know they would turn him in； so he had run for the country of his mother's clan； where he could stay hidden。
〃How the devil can you find him； then？〃 McKee had asked。 〃It would take the Marine Corps to search those canyons。〃
And Leaphorn had explained again…that the knife victim was now off the critical list and that if the good news was gotten to Horseman one of two things would happen。 He would either turn himself in to face an assault charge； or； being less frightened； would get careless and show up in Chinle； or at Shoemaker's； or some other trading post。 Either way； he'd be picked up and the file closed。
〃And so I go to Shoemaker's today and spread the word to whatever Red Foreheads e in； and one of them will be a cousin； or a nephew； or something； and the news gets to Horseman。 And if you don't want a free ride you can stay and help Emma with the housework。〃
And now Leaphorn was spreading the word again； talking to the big bareheaded Navajo who had been collecting canned goods off the shelves。 〃He's sort of skinny；〃 Leaphorn was saying； 〃about twenty…two years old and wears his hair the old way。〃
〃I don't know him；〃 the Big Navajo said。 He inspected Leaphorn carefully； then moved to the racks where the clothing was hung。 He tried on a black felt hat。 It was several sizes too small； but he left it sitting ludicrously atop his head as he sorted through the stock。
〃My head got big since the last time I bought a hat；〃 the Navajo said。 He spoke in English； glancing at McKee to see if the white man appreciated Navajo clowning。 〃Have to have a seven…and…a…half now。〃
〃Get that hair cut off and you could wear your old hat；〃 Shoemaker said。
The Big Navajo wore braids； in the conservative fashion； but very short braids。 Maybe； McKee thought； he had had a white man's haircut and was letting it grow out。
〃Some son of a bitch stole the old one；〃 the Big Navajo said。 He tried on another hat。
McKee yawned and looked out the open door of the trading post。 Heat waves were rising from the bare earth in front。 To the northeast a thunderhead was building up in the sky over Carrizo Mountain。 It was early in the season for that。 Tomorrow was Wednesday。 McKee decided he would accept Leaphorn's invitation to spend another day with him。 And then he would take his own pickup and try to find the summer hogan of Old Lady Gray Rocks。 He would start with her； since she was supposed to be the source of one of the better rumors。 And by Thursday when Canfield arrived they would move into Many Ruins Canyon； set up camp； and work out of the canyon。
The Big Navajo had found a hat that fitted him； another black one with a broad brim and a high crown…the high fashion of old…generation Navajos。 He looked like a Tuba City Navajo； McKee decided； long…faced and raw…boned with heavy eyebrows and a wide mouth。
〃O。K。；〃 the man said。 〃How much do I owe you now？〃
The Big Navajo had taken a silver concho band from his hip pocket。 He let it hang over his wrist while he handed Shoemaker the bills and waited for his change。 The metal glowed softly…hammered discs bigger than silver dollars。 McKee guessed the conchos would bring 200 in pawn。 He looked at the big man with new