d. Once in the valley, Robinson
released his grip on the wheel and relaxed.

"Roy," he said softly.

"Yea?"

"About that phantom buck story. I wouldn't talk too much. On the square,
though I'm inclined to wonder."

Roy Starr's voice sank to a whisper.

"You think--maybe...?"

"Yea," Robinson answered, "I think--maybe...."

* * * * *

The electric light flashed on, making the world of swirling snow
friendly once more. The car was parked beside the house, close to the
barn. The place was a huge country store with the living quarters
attached like a toad-stool to the side of it. There was a wood-pile in
the yard, hidden under a foot of snow, looking like a crouching, white
monster. A single pole had been buried in the ground, and from it hung a
six-point buck. The deer had been gutted, and blood made little red
blobs on the snow.

Glenn Starr climbed out and helped Marjorie Wrenn to the ground. He saw
the overcoated figure emerging from the woodshed.

"Norm, you old horse. Got any snake bite medicine?"

Norm Boody, a well fed duplicate of Slim Summerville, was clad in a
heavy overcoat drawn over a flannel night-shirt. His feet were hidden in
vast, felt slippers.

"Thought you people weren't gonna get here. It's almost three in the
morning. About those snake bites. What's the matter? Snow snakes biting
tonight?"

The others were getting stiffly out of the car.

Earl Robinson said solemnly:

"Those snow snakes bite before you can go ten feet. We had a little
trouble, Norm."

Boody found a half filled bottle in his coat and passed it around.

"Bad country to drive in a storm," he said.

"Worse than usual," Robinson said. "There is a dead man laying down the
road a mile or two."

Norm Boody gulped from the bottle, choked and spewed the whiskey on the
snow.

"It--wasn't Bill, was it?"

Robinson shook his head.

"No one I know. Dressed in hunter's outfit. Didn't find his gun.
Probably buried under the snow."

Boody sighed. He looked uncertain.

"Bill went into Indian River for some stuff. He didn't come back."

"Look," Glenn said suddenly. "Marge is freezing and we're all tired out.
We better get inside."

Norm Boody sprang toward the door and held it open.

"Sure, sure," he said. "The wife's got both coffee pots steaming by now.
I oughta be shot for not getting this poor girl inside the minute she
came. It ain't fit weather...."

Robinson smiled.

"Let's g