thillerman.theblessingway-第7部分

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　told　him　they　belonged　to　an　oil　pany　and　that　Hosteen　Charley　had　better　move　his　sheep　out　of　there　because　they　would　be　shooting　off　dynamite。　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　thought　this　was　strange　and　McKee　had　not　felt　his　Navajo　good　enough　to　undertake　an　explanation　of　how　seismograph　crews　record　shock　waves　in　searching　for　petroleum　deposits。
　Until　now；　only　two　of　her　remarks　had　been　worth　remembering。　She　had　mentioned　that　a　man　driving　a　truck　had　stopped　her　sister's　husband　and　asked　him　about　a　road。　McKee　had　asked　her　about　that；　thinking　of　Miss　Leon's　misplaced　electrical　engineer。　The　road　had　been　the　one　which　leads　into　Many　Ruins　Canyon。　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　said　the　driver　had　been　a　Belacani　like　McKee　and　the　truck　had　been　pulling　a　little　two…wheel　trailer；　and　it　was　like　those　they　haul　bread　in；　with　a　door　in　the　back…which　meant　it　might　be　a　van；　like　Dr。　Hall's　van。　She　didn't　know　what　color　it　was　but　her　grandson　had　seen　it　parked　in　Hard　Goods　Canyon　three　or　four　weeks　ago　when　he　was　trapping　rabbits。　Hard　Goods　was　the　wash　that　runs　into　Many　Ruins　Canyon　about　nine　miles　up　from　the　mouth；　she　said。
　And　then　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　had　returned　to　the　subject　of　the　decline　of　the　younger　generation；　and　mentioned　a　cousin　of　her　nephews　had　cut　up　a　Nakai　in　Gallup　and　stolen　a　car　and　run　away。
　〃I　heard　about　that　at　Window　Rock；〃　McKee　said。　〃I　heard　his　name　was　Luis　Horseman。〃　He　checked　an　impulse　to　tell　her　that　Horseman　was　dead　and　to　ask　her　if　the　cousin　of　her　nephews　had　e　home　to　hide。　It　was　better　to　let　her　talk。
　〃That's　his　name；〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　said。　She　spit　on　the　ground。　〃He　always　acted　like　he　didn't　have　any　relatives。　Got　drunk　all　the　time　and　fought　people。　His　mother　wasn't　any　good　either。　Run　off　from　her　children。〃　She　lit　another　cigarette。
　McKee　wondered　how　far　Leaphorn's　news　had　spread。　〃Did　he　kill　that　man　in　Gallup？〃
　〃They　say　he　got　well；〃　she　said。　〃A　policeman　came　to　Shoemaker's　and　said　that；　and　said　he　should　e　in　to　talk　to　Law　and　Order。　It　would　be　better　if　he　did　that。〃
　〃How's　he　going　to　know？〃
　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　looked　toward　the　Lukachukais。　〃They　said　somebody　went　back　in　there　and　told　him　about　it；〃　she　said。　〃I　think　it　was　one　of　those　boys　in　the　Nez　outfit　went　to　tell　him。〃
　And　that；　McKee　thought；　will　tell　Joe　Leaphorn　that　he　guessed　right　about　Horseman　ing　home　to　hide。　And　maybe　it　will　tell　him　somebody　named　Nez　saw　Horseman　the　evening　before　his　body　turned　up。　That　gave　him　a　chance　to　return　one　of　Leaphorn's　many　favors。
　And　now　it　seemed　that　this　gossipy　woman　knew　more　about　the　witching　incidents　than　she　had　been　willing　to　admit。　He　thought　about　her　statement　that　the　Wolf　was　a　stranger。　A　few　hours　earlier　he　would　have　rejected　such　an　idea　as　incongruous。　The　witch　should　be　one　of　the　clan；　a　known　irritant　or　target　of　envy。　But　now　he　was　faced　with　a　new　set　of　facts。　There　seemed　to　be；　if　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　was　well　informed；　none　of　the　usual　causes　to　produce　a　scapegoat　witch。　The　cause；　when　he　found　it；　now　would　likely　be　something　isolated　and　outside　the　usual　social　pattern。　He　decided　to　pursue　this　point　very　gingerly。
　〃Who　is　the　Navajo　who　says　this　Wolf　is　a　stranger？〃　McKee　asked。
　〃I　heard　that　from　my　husband。　He　said　they　told　him　that　one　of　the　Tsosie　boys　found　the　place　in　an　arroyo　over　that　way〃…Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　made　a　vague　gesture　with　her　lips　toward　the　Lukachukai　slopes…〃where　the　Wolf　had　camped。　It　was　a　dry　camp　and　there　was　a　spring　just　a　mile　up　the　arroyo。　If　he　lived　around　here　he　would　have　known　where　the　water　was。〃
　〃How　did　they　know　it　was　the　Wolf's　camp？〃　McKee　asked。
　They　said　to　my　husband　that　the　boot　tracks　were　the　same　tracks　that　Tsosie　Begay　found　around　his　sheep　pen　after　the　Wolf　came　there。〃
　So；　thought　McKee。
　〃Is　this　boy　of　the　family　of　Charley　Tsosie？〃　he　asked。
　〃It　is　the　son　of　Charley；〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　said。　〃He　didn't　get　married　so　he　is　still　with　the　clan。〃
　〃And　the　Tsosie　place　is　the　one　the　Wolf　came　to？〃
　〃That's　what　is　said。　Charley　Tsosie　was　one　of　them　he　bothered。〃
　〃Do　you　know　the　name　of　the　other　ones？〃　McKee　asked。　Before　their　meal　she　had　assured　him　that　she　didn't　know　the　identity　of　anyone　who　claimed　to　be　troubled　by　a　Wolf。　McKee　considered　this　small　lie；　now　gracefully　retracted；　not　as　an　indication　of　a　Navajo　secrecy　but　as　a　further　demonstration　of　the　mystery　of　womanhood。　He　had　no　theory　concerning　why　Old　Woman　。Gray　Rocks　had　withheld　this　information　earlier；　and　no　theory　concerning　why　she　had　decided　to　confide　it　to　him　now；　and　no　idea　whether　she　would　tell　him　more。　McKee　had　concluded　years　ago　that　the　intricacies　of　feminine　logic　were　beyond　his　prehension。
　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　seemed　not　to　have　heard　the　question。　She　was　looking　down　the　slope　toward　the　pole　corral；　where　two　young　grandsons　were　putting　a　saddle　on　a　scrubby…looking　horse。
　〃I　heard　at　the　trading　post　that　the　other　one　the　Wolf　came　after　was　a　man　they　called　Afraid　of　His　Horse；〃　McKee　said。　〃But　someone　else　said　that　wasn't　right。　And　someone　else　told　it　was　a　fellow　named　Shelton　Nakai；　but　they　didn't　know　where　he　lived　now。〃
　〃Who　told　you　it　was　Afraid　of　His　Horse？〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　asked。
　〃I　don't　remember　who　it　was　now；〃　McKee　said。　It　had　been　Mr。　Shoemaker　at　the　trading　post；　and　Shoemaker　had　also　told　him　that　Afraid　of　His　Horse　was　the　son…in…law　of　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks。
　〃Maybe　it　was　Ben　Yazzie　the　witch　was　after；〃　the　woman　said　slowly。　〃I　don't　know　where　he　lives　now。　He　used　to　graze　some　sheep　way　up　on　the　high　slopes　over　there　by　Horse　Fell　and　Many　Ruins　Canyon…　That's　where　he　used　to　have　his　summer　hogan。〃
　McKee　thought　she　looked　nervous；　and　he　thought　he　knew　why。　She　didn't　want　her　son…in…law　connected；　even　in　gossip；　with　witching；　so　she　was　turning　his　attention　to　Yazzie。　He　would　find　Charley　Tsosie；　Ben　Yazzie；　and　Afraid　of　His　Horse　later；　and　talk　to　them；　but　now　he　would　change　the　subject。　He　wanted　to　learn　more；　if　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　would　tell　him；　about　why　this　witch　was　thought　to　be　a　stranger。
　〃I　don't　know　why　they　think　this　Wolf　doesn't　live　around　here；〃　McKee　said。　〃Maybe　he　made　that　dry　camp　in　the　arroyo　because　he　thought　somebody　would　e　to　the　spring　and　he　didn't　want　them　to　find　him。〃
　〃Somebody　saw　him　one　night；〃　the　old　woman　said。　She　spoke　very　slowly；　weighing　what　she　would　say；　and　how　much　she　would　say。　〃Witches　e　out　mostly　when　there　is　a　moon　and　there　was　a　moon　that　night。　This　man　he　woke　up　in　the　night　and　heard　a　coyote　singing　and　he　went　out　to　see　about　some　lambs　he　had　penned　up　out　there　and　he　saw　the　witch　there　in　the　moonlight。　It　wasn't　anyone　who　has　his　hogan　around　here。〃
　McKee　started　to　ask　the　name　of　this　man；　and　thought　better　of　it。　This　〃someone〃　would　be　Afraid　of　His　Horse；　the　old　woman's　son…in…law。
　〃But　how　did　this　man　know　he　was　seeing　a　witch？〃　McKee　asked。　〃Maybe　it　was　just　somebody　walking　through　there。〃
　McKee　thought；　for　a　long　moment；　that　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　would　ignore　the　question。　He　let　it　hang　in　the　heavy　silence。　Behind　the　winter　hogan；　the　dogs　began　to　bark　and　McKee　heard　the　sound　of　the　pickup　truck…Canfield　ing　back　from　Shoemaker's　with　the　groceries。
　〃The　way　I　heard　it；〃　Old　Woman　Gray　Rocks　said；　still　slowly；　〃this　witch　had　a　wolf　skin　over　his　back　and　he　was　down　where　those　rams　were　penned；　killing　them　with　a　knife。〃
　Canfield　arrived　from　Shoemaker's　with　43　worth　of　groceries　in　the　camper；　a　case　of　beer；　and　a　letter　from　Ellen　Leon；　postmarked　Page；　Arizona。　She　planned　to　spend　a　day　or　two　checking　the　trading　posts　around　Mormon　Ridge　and　the　Kaibab　Plateau　in　the　northwest　section　of　the　Reservation。　And　then　she　would　e　to　Chinle　on　Thursday　and　drive　over　to　Shoemaker's　trading　post　and　find　out　where　she　could　meet　them。　Canfield　had　left　a　note　and　a　penciled　map　telling　her　they　would　be　camped　about　five　miles　up　the　main　branch　of　Many　Ruins　Canyon　and　showing　her　how　to　get　there。
　〃Works　out　good　for　everybody；〃　Canfield　said。　〃You've　got　your　witchery　business　going　on　in　the　neighborhood；　and　if　we　have　time；　we　can　look　around　up　in　there　and　see　if　we　can　find　that　green　van。〃　He　grinned。　〃Let's　hope　we　don't　find　it。　We'll　get　out　my　guitar　and　serenade　her　and　spend　bacchanal　evenings　under　the　Navajo　moon。〃
　〃I　don't　know　if　I've　got　any　witchery　business　yet；〃　McKee　said。　〃I've　got　to　find　this　Tsosie　family　and　find　out　what　their　trouble　is；　if　anything。　According　to　the　old　lady；　Charley　usually　has　his　summer　hogan　just　a　few　miles　south　of　where　we'll　be　camping；　so　that　should　be　easy。　Then　maybe　the　Tsosies　can　tell　me　where　to　find　Afraid　of　His　Horse。　The　old　lady　didn't　want　to　talk　about　him。　They　don't　like　witch　trouble　in　the　family。〃
　〃What　are　you　going　to　do　about　Horseman？〃
　McKee　thought　about　it。　〃I　think　I　ought　to　go　on　back　to　Chinle　tomorrow　and　call　Leaphorn　about　it；〃　he　said。
　〃Your　cop　really　thinks　it　wasn't　a　natural　death？〃
　〃I　don't　think　he　knows；〃　McKee　said。　〃But　he　guessed　right　about　Horseman　ing　back　in　here　to　hide。〃
　Canfield　let　the　pickup　idle　along　the　hard…packed　sand　of　the　canyon　floor；　turning　occasionally　to　side　canyons　to　check　his　map　and　his　memory　of　where　cliff　ruins　he　would　inspect　were　located。　The　sun　was　low　as　they　penetrated　the　upper　canyon。　Here　the　cliffs　closed　in；　rising　in　sheer；　almost　smooth　walls　nearly　four　hundred　feet　to　a　narrow　slit　of　sky　above。　Here　in　this　slot　of　eroded　stone　darkness　came　early。　Canfield　had　switched　on　his　headlights　before　he　found　a　likely　camp…a　hillock　of　rocky　debris　which　had　collected　enough　soil　to　support　an　expanse　of　grass　and　even　a　growth　of　young　cottonwoods　and　willows。
　By　the　time　they　had　Canfield's　working　tent　pitched　and　supper　cooked；　the　first　stars　were　visible　over　the　canyon　walls。　A　nighthawk　flashed　past　them；　hunting。　Up　canyon　a　rasping　hoot　touched　off　a　dull　pattern　of　echoes。
　〃Saw…whet　owl；〃　Canfield　said。　He　grinned　at　McKee。　〃If　Leaphorn　was　right；　maybe　that's　Horseman's　g