Double Challenge Part 28

Carrying his hat, streaming perspiration, but entirely happy, John Wilson panted up to join him.

"He went out," he said cheerfully, "and I'll swear he flushed no more than twenty yards ahead of you! Thought sure you'd see him."

"Where'd he go?"

"Quartered up the mountain and crossed the summit just a little to the right of some white birches."

Ted nodded. The course described by John Wilson had kept the big buck in thick cover all the way. It was the route he might have been expected to take, except that there were a dozen others with brush just as thick.

However, there was every chance that he would go the same way a second time and tomorrow morning John Wilson would be posted in the birches while Ted tried to drive the buck through.

"What's it like on top?" John Wilson asked.

"Patches of laurel and rhododendron. We'll go see what we can do."

That night, tired and hungry, the pair made their way down Burned Mountain. They hadn't seen the monster buck again, but were in no wise disheartened. There were twenty days of the season left and John Wilson had had, and failed to take, a chance at a very good eight-point buck.

Obviously, he'd meant it when he said he wanted only the biggest.

Ted prepared supper and washed the dishes afterwards.... The two hunters were sprawled in the living room when Tammie whined to announce that someone was coming. A minute later there was a knock at the door and Ted opened it to confront George Stacey.

"Come on in, George."

"Cain't. Gotta git home. Thought I'd stop an' tell ya that Thornton, down to Crestwood, fetched in one of them big bucks today."

"He did?"

"Sure did, an' hit's big enough for ary two bucks. Go see hit. Hit's a'hangin' on the game pole."

"Thanks, George."

"Yer welcome. Go see hit."

"Want to go?" Ted asked his guest.

"Sure thing!"

The night air had a distinct bite, and a definite promise of freezing cold to be. Ted turned the heater on, and after they'd gone a mile or so, the pickup's cab filled with welcome warmth.

As soon as they came in sight of Crestwood it was evident that something unusual had occurred at that resort. Carl Thornton provided parking s.p.a.ce for his guests. Now all the available area was filled and parked cars lined both sides of the driveway. Ted backed into one of the few empty s.p.a.ces. He and John Wilson got out to join the crowd at the game rack.

Crestwood's hunters had brought in seven other bucks this opening day and three of them were big deer. But the biggest seemed puny beside the monster that the crowd was eyeing. Its antlers were laced close to the game pole, but its outstretched hoofs nearly touched the ground. If this buck did not set a new record, it would come very close to so doing.

John Wilson murmured, "Gad, what a buck! Is the other as big?"

"They're twins."

Ted went up for a closer look. He put his hand on the hanging buck and set it to swinging gently. He gasped. As un.o.btrusively as possible, hoping none had noticed his outburst, he drew back into the crowd.

But several matters that had been very cloudy had become very clear.

11

PYTHIAS

Ted lingered on the fringes of the crowd, and in his mind's eye he conjured up an image of Nels Anderson. Nels always earned his pay plus a little bit more, and Ted wondered why Carl Thornton had fired him. But he wondered no more.

The great buck hung on Crestwood's game rack and bore Carl Thornton's deer tag, but it had never been killed today. The weather, though colder, still had not dipped to the freezing point and the big buck was frozen solidly. The others hung limp and pliable.

Failing to persuade Ted to hunt the big bucks for him, obviously Thornton had hired someone else and Ted's thoughts swung naturally to Smoky Delbert. Smoky would do anything for money and he knew how to bargain. If he'd hired Smoky, Thornton must have paid a stiff price and the rest was simple.

Crestwood's walk-in refrigerator had a freezing compartment that would accommodate a side of beef. It had been necessary only to bring the buck to Crestwood--no impossible or even difficult feat--hang it in the freezer, and on this, the first day of the season, bring it out again.

Nels, of course, had been fired solely to keep him from discovering what was in the freezer. It would hurt both Thornton and Crestwood if it were known that Thornton had bought his buck. The favorable publicity for which he'd hoped, and which he'd certainly get unless Ted exposed him, would turn to scathing condemnation.

Alan Russell, Crestwood's part-time bookkeeper, broke from the crowd and came to Ted's side.

"h.e.l.lo, Ted."

"Hi, Alan."

"Some buck, eh?"

"Sure is," Ted said wryly. "I can imagine Thornton telling his adoring guests just what a Daniel Boone he had to be to get it."

"After this season he won't be telling 'em at Crestwood."

"Why not?"

"Thornton's sold out."

"Sold out!"

"That's right."

"When did all this happen?"

"It's been hanging fire for a couple of months, but the prospective buyers met Thornton's price only three days ago. It was a stiff price."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm handling the book work."

Ted said happily, "Alan, I love you!"