thillerman.theblessingway-第15部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃That's　the　most　I　got　all　night；〃　she　said。　But　she　wouldn't　e　with　him　to　point　out　Nez。
　Leaphorn　spotted　the　Carrier　of　the　Scalp　a　half　hour　later。　The　Sway　Dancing　had　started　then　and　he　saw　Nez　in　his　ball　cap　among　the　line　of　dancers　from　the　Stick　Receiver's　camp。　The　rhythm　was　faster　now　and　the　rising；　falling　in　sound　of　the　voices　was　as　old　as　the　earth。　But　the　words　were　about　a　rocket。
　〃Belacani's　rocket　fell　on　the　mesa；〃　the　singers　chanted。
　And　then　the　line　of　men　from　the　patient's　camp　began　the　rhythmic　swaying　and　the　words　changed。
　〃Belacani's　rocket　start　the　brush　burning。〃
　Track　down　the　man　who　started　that　one；　Leaphorn　thought；　and　you'd　find　the　missile　the　Army　spent　half　the　winter　looking　for　four　years　ago。　Trouble　was　it　would　be　easier　to　find　the　missile　than　the　song　writer。
　But　he　had；　at　least；　found　Billy　Nez；　and　now　the　dancing　was　over　for　a　time　and　Nez　was　walking　toward　him；　talking　to　a　younger　boy　who；　Leaphorn　guessed；　would　be　his　cousin。
　〃My　nephew；〃　Leaphorn　said；　〃I　would　like　to　talk　for　a　moment　with　the　man　who　carried　the　scalp。〃
　Billy　Nez　looked　surprised　and　pleased。　But；　Leaphorn　noticed；　he　also　moved　his　hand　toward　his　shirt　front　to　touch　his　medicine　pouch　with　its　gallstone　proof　against　witches。　One　was　careful　of　strangers　at　an　Enemy　Way。
　〃I　myself　am　a　policeman；〃　Leaphorn　said。　〃It　is　sometimes　my　business　to　track　people　and　it　would　be　good　for　me　to　hear　how　you　tracked　this　Wolf。〃
　The　boy　looked　down。　〃It　was　nothing　very　much；〃　he　said。　And　then；　remembering　his　manners；　added；　〃My　uncle。〃　For　the　first　time　in　a　long　day；　Leaphorn　felt　he　was　handling　someone　exactly　right。
　〃And　yet　nobody　else　got　the　scalp　for　this　Sing。　It　was　you；　Hosteen　Nez。〃
　〃Billy　tracked　him　three　days；〃　the　younger　boy　said。　He　grinned　at　Leaphorn。　〃I'm　Billy's　uncle's　son。〃
　〃We　might　sit　here　by　this　pickup　and　smoke；〃　Leaphorn　said。　He　took　a　cigarette　and　handed　the　pack　to　the　younger　boy。　And　when　the　pack　came　to　Billy　Nez　he　took　a　cigarette；　and　lit　it；　and　told　Joe　Leaphorn　everything　he　knew。　And　he　started；　as　Leaphorn　knew　he　would　start；　from　the　beginning。
　The　witch　had　first　e　around　the　summer　hogans　of　his　uncle　at　mid…spring　not　long　after　his　uncle's　family　had　driven　the　sheep　up　from　the　winter　grazing　in　the　Chinle　Valley　to　the　summer　range　in　the　Lukachukais。
　Two　days　after　they　had　settled　down；　he　and　the　two　boys　were　driving　the　sheep　up　there　on　the　plateau。　His　uncle　was　driving　his　own　sheep　and　the　boys　were　driving　his　uncle's　wife's　sheep。　And　they　saw　this　truck　ing　across　this　arroyo　there。　It　wasn't　really　a　truck。　More　like　a　jeep；　only　bigger　and　with　a　cloth　top　on　it。
　〃Was　it　a　Land…Rover？〃　Leaphorn　said。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃I　never　saw　another　one　like　it。　It　was　gray。〃
　The　Big　Navajo　had　left　Shoemaker's　store　in　a　Land…Rover；　Leaphorn　thought。　Gray　and　hard　to　see　and　I　wonder　if　that's　a　coincidence。
　The　truck　had　stopped　at　first　and　his　uncle　had　seen　the　driver　looking　at　them。　And　then　it　drove　up　and　the　man　asked　my　uncle　where　he　was　taking　those　sheep　and　how　long　he　was　going　to　keep　them　in　that　high　country。　His　uncle　had　said　all　summer　and　the　man　had　asked　if　he　didn't　know　there　was　a　witch　cave　up　in　that　country　and　a　bunch　of　wolves　up　there　that　got　after　people　that　came　into　their　territory。
　Billy　Nez　took　a　long　drag　on　his　cigarette；　inhaled；　and　then　blew　out　the　smoke。
　〃What'd　your　uncle　say？〃　Leaphorn　asked；　and　was　instantly　irked　with　himself　for　his　impatience。
　〃He　thought　it　was　kind　of　funny　this　Nakai　knowing　so　much　about　Navajo　Wolves。〃
　Leaphorn　looked　at　Billy　Nez　sharply。
　〃Why　Nakai？　Did　your　uncle　think　this　man　was　a　Mexican？〃
　〃Nakai；　or　Belacana；　or　something；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃Anyhow　my　uncle　said　he　didn't　talk　much　good　Navajo。　Wanted　to　talk　in　English　and　my　uncle　don't　talk　that　much；　so　he　tried　to　talk　in　Spanish　and　this　man　didn't　know　that　good。〃　Billy　Nez　paused。　〃So　I　guess　he　wasn't　a　Nakai；　e　to　think　of　it。　Maybe　a　Ute　or　something。〃
　So；　Leaphorn　thought。　No　doubt　now　why　the　Hand　Tremble　had　prescribed　the　Enemy　Way　instead　of　the　Prostitution　Way。　Here's　why　they　thought　the　witch　was　a　foreigner…an　enemy　ghost　to　be　exorcised。　But　the　man　in　the　Land…Rover；　the　man　with　the　black　hat；　had　been　a　Navajo。　Leaphorn　was　certain　of　it。
　Anyway；　Billy　Nez　was　saying；　his　uncle　had　said　he　didn't　pay　much　attention　to　witches　when　he　needed　grass　for　his　sheep　and　the　sheep　of　his　wife；　and　the　man　had　driven　away。　But　after　that　his　uncle　had　known　something　was　going　to　be　wrong。
　The　first　week　they　were　back　in　the　high　country　a　young　coyote　had　trailed　his　uncle；　followed　his　horse　all　the　way　across　the　mesa　one　morning。　That　was　the　Coyote　People　telling　him　to　watch　out。　The　Coyote　People　caused　a　lot　of　trouble；　Billy　Nez　said；　but　they　were　good　about　warning　people。
　A　little　bit　after　that；　at　night；　his　uncle　heard　the　Wolf　on　top　of　his　hogan。　Some　dirt　had　fallen　down　from　the　roof　on　the　east　side　of　the　hogan　（and　now；　Leaphorn　thought；　the　other　three　pass　points）；　and　then　on　the　south　side；　and　then　on　the　west　side　and　then　some　dirt　fell　down　on　the　north　side。　And　then　his　uncle　had　known　the　Wolf　would　be　looking　down　the　smoke　hole　to　see　where　they　were　and　to　blow　some　corpse　powder　down　on　them。　But　the　uncle　of　Billy　Nez　was　not　afraid　of　a　Wolf。　He　ran　outside　the　hogan　to　chase　him　away　but　he　didn't　see　anything　for　sure。　Maybe　he　saw　a　dog　running　away　but　he　wasn't　sure。
　〃That　would　have　been　about　the　first　part　of　May？〃　Leaphorn　asked。
　〃A　little　bit　before　that；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　The　moon　was　in　its　last　quarter　two　cycles　so　it　would　have　been　in　the　last　part　of　April。〃
　Almost　two　weeks　before　Luis　Horseman　came　home　to　die。
　But　the　second　time　his　uncle　had　seen　the　Wolf。　It　was　daylight　then；　sundown　but　still　daylight；　and　his　uncle　was　bringing　some　of　the　sheep　in　for　watering　and　he　had　thought　something　was　watching　him　maybe。　He　looked　up　to　the　rim　of　the　mesa　and　there　was　this　witch　standing　there；　looking　at　him。　He　was　up　on　the　mesa　rim　on　the　rocks　with　this　wolf　skin　on　him；　but　his　uncle　could　tell　it　was　a　man。　His　uncle　had　said　this　witch　had　stood　there　looking　at　him　and　then　made　some　medicine　with　his　hands。　His　uncle　had　thought　he　might　be　calling　to　the　other　witches　to　e　out　of　their　cave　and　help。　His　uncle　drove　the　sheep　down　to　the　hogan　then　and　they　sprinkled　pollen　and　sang　the　songs　from　the　Night　Way。　The　songs　against　witches。
　〃What　day　was　that？〃
　〃That　was　three　or　four　days　after　the　first　time　on　the　roof；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　〃I　think　it　was　three　days。〃
　After　that；　his　uncle　had　taken　his　。30…30　with　him　when　he　herded　the　sheep　and　he　had　left　one　of　the　boys　at　the　hogan　with　his　wife；　in　case　the　witch　would　e　there　while　he　was　gone。　And　he　thought　he　had　better　track　this　Wolf　and　kill　it。　He　went　up　on　the　mesa　where　he　had　seen　the　Wolf；　and　he　found　tracks　there。　Some　of　them　were　big　boot　tracks　and　some　were　like　a　big　dog。　It　was　still　the　Season　When　the　Thunder　Sleeps　and　the　ground　was　damp　from　the　snow　thaw　and　tracking　was　easy。
　〃My　father　is　a　brave　man；〃　said　the　cousin　of　Billy　Nez；　and　was　instantly　embarrassed　by　his　rudeness。　They　smoked　a　moment　in　silence　to　let　the　incident　pass。　Then　Billy　Nez　resumed　his　story。
　Under　the　other　slope　of　the　mesa；　his　uncle　had　found　tire　tracks。　The　Wolf　had　driven　up　there　and　left　his　truck　and　then　e　back　to　it　and　driven　away。　After　that　the　Wolf　had　started　bothering　the　livestock。　That　first　night；　his　uncle　had　heard　the　horses　whinnying　like　they　were　scared　and　then　he　heard　one　of　them　screaming；　and　when　he　ran　out　there　to　where　he　had　them　penned；　two　of　them　had　their　tendons　cut　and　his　uncle　had　to　kill　them。
　Leaphorn　raised　a　hand　in　interruption。　This　surprised　him。　He　had　expected　nothing　so　concrete。
　〃My　nephew；　did　you　see　these　horses？〃
　〃I　saw　them。　The　Wolf　must　have　done　it　with　a　hand　ax。　He　cut　both　of　the　rear　tendons　on　the　mare　and　he　hit　the　colt　so　hard　that　it　broke　his　legbone。〃
　Good　enough；　thought　Leaphorn。　I've　got　another　reason　for　finding　this　son　of　a　bitch。　The　Tribal　Council　had　a　law　against　cruelty　to　animals。　Besides；　Leaphorn　didn't　like　a　man　who　would　do　that　to　a　horse。
　After　that；　Billy　Nez　continued；　it　was　the　sheep。　His　uncle　lay　out　all　night　with　his　。30…30　but　the　Wolf　didn't　e　back　any　more　for　a　while。　And　then　the　moon　came　and　one　white　night　he　heard　some　rifle　shots　and　he　ran　out　there　and　the　witch　had　been　shooting　into　where　the　flock　was　sleeping。　Three　of　them　were　dead　and　he　had　to　butcher　some　of　the　others　that　were　hurt。
　〃After　that　my　uncle　talked　about　it　with　my　aunt　and　they　decided　to　bring　those　sheep　out　of　there。　They　didn't　think　they　could　catch　that　witch　and　he　might　get　them。　So　they　came　on　down　here。〃
　Leaphorn　passed　around　his　cigarette　pack　again。
　〃When　was　it　he　shot　those　sheep？〃
　〃Night　just　like　this；〃　Billy　Nez　said。　He　looked　at　the　moon；　which　was　two　nights　short　of　full　phase。
　〃Be　about　twenty…six；　twenty…seven　days　ago。　One　moon　back。〃
　〃And　when　did　you　go　after　the　witch？〃　Leaphorn　asked。
　〃Well；　my　uncle's　father　came　over　to　our　place　with　some　of　the　other　men　of　the　outfit　and　they　talked　it　over。　And　then　they　got　that　Hand　Trembler　in　and　he　sang　the　hand…trembling　songs　and　held　his　arm　out　over　my　uncle　and　it　shook　and　shook。　He　said　the　reason　he'd　been　having　these　dreams　was　this　foreign　witch　was　bothering　him。〃
　Billy　Nez　took　another　deep　drag　on　the　cigarette。
　〃Or　maybe　it　was　the　ghost　of　the　witch。　Anyway；　after　that　they　tried　it　out　by　having　a　blackening。　My　uncle　slept　that　night　with　the　ashes　on　him　and　he　didn't　have　any　dreams；　so　they　decided　the　Hand　Trembler　was　right。　The　ghost　couldn't　find　him　with　those　ashes　on　him。　So　the　next　night　they　got　together　again　there　in　our　hogan　and　decided　they　ought　to　find　a　Singer　who　knew　the　Enemy　Way。〃
　Billy　Nez　paused　again。
　〃And　my　cousin　told　them　he　would　find　the　Wolf　and　carry　the　scalp；〃　the　younger　boy　said。