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at the Stick Carrier's camp。 The plump young man with the horn…rimmed glasses had told him that。 And Horn Rims had been out looking for a stray mule and had seen Horseman walking along a sheep trail back toward the Lukachukais。 Horseman was his second cousin and he had stopped to talk and had given Horseman some tobacco。
〃I think his wife had gone off with somebody and he was ing back to his mother's family；〃 Horn Rims had said。 He then explained that Luis was a 〃worthless son of a bitch。〃 In Navajo； the insult came out literally to the effect that Horn Rims' second cousin was a stunted male member of a litter produced by a collie bitch。 Navajo is a very precise and unambiguous language and the statement left no question that Horn Rims strongly disapproved of his second cousin。 But almost two weeks had passed since Horn Rims had seen Horseman and he had no other information to offer； except that Billy Nez was with the Stick Carrier。
The long afternoon of chatting on the subject of the witch had been even less productive。 Leaphorn felt he had fairly well confirmed what Sandoval had implied…that the identity of the witch was not exactly known。 Not known； at least； by name； and family； and clan。 Leaphorn's instinct told him that several of the Red Forehead clan he had talked to； mostly kinsmen of Tsosies； or members of their extended 〃outfit；〃 thought of this witch as a specific person； with a specific face； and shape； and habits。 It was nothing he could confirm。 Leaphorn was a stranger to this clan and he faced the traditional caution of The People where witchcraft was concerned。 He had noticed one man slip his hand into his overalls to finger a sacred shape in the medicine bag tied to his loin cloth。 The gesture was typical of what he knew others had felt。 How did they know that Leaphorn himself was not a witch？ And perhaps seeking those who knew of him to make them his future victims？ And yet among the garrulous ones； the gossips； there had been some specific details。 Several had said the witch was a man； had indicated he was a tall man； all references to him were on foot； none had him riding a horse。 The accounts Leaphorn had collected of the witching incidents were conflicting and overlapping and some were obviously wildly imaginative。 But he concluded there probably had been at least two or three persons bothered in addition to Tsosie。 He had jotted some names in his notebook； but even as he did it he wondered why。 The laws he enforced had been taken by the Tribal Council from the white man's laws and the white man did not recognize witchcraft as an offense。
It would bee an offense only if some specified crime was involved。 There had been a case of extortion once； nothing they had ever proved； but enough circumstantial evidence to indicate a conspiracy between a Star Gazer and a Singer to diagnose witchings and split fees for the curing ceremonial。
Agnes Tsosie came out of the ceremonial hogan now and went to the brush shelter with a crowd of women relatives and the Singer from the Stick Carrier's camp。 Leaphorn saw that one of the women was rubbing tallow on her chin and juniper sap on her forehead。 Inside the hogan the same thing would be happening to Tsosie and the other male kinfolks who would be taking part in the attack on the scalp。 They would be blackened more thoroughly with the ceremonial ashes； as Monster Slayer had been to make himself invisible before his attack on the Ye…i。 If Leaphorn's memory of the ceremonial was correct； Agnes Tsosie would only watch the attack； with a male relative serving as her stand…in during the ritual。 The Singer wasn't needed during the blackening and Leaphorn saw Old Man Sandoval talking to the Scalp Shooter； who had been sitting all afternoon beside the hogan entrance； guarding a pile of ashes。
Scalp shooting required a professional； although his role in the ceremonial was simply to shoot the scalp with an arrow and sprinkle it with symbolic ashes to signify its death。 Leaphorn thought he had seen this man before； helping Singers at other ceremonials。 He wondered idly what Sandoval was using for the symbolic scalp。 Ideally； it would be something from the witch's person； a clipping of hair if that could be had； something with his blood on it； or some article of clothing which had absorbed his sweat。 Since this witch was unidentified； the symbolic scalp would have to be something else。 Leaphorn guessed they might use a pouch of sand from a footprint or something else they thought the witch had touched。
If it's hair； Leaphorn thought； it's going to mean that Sandoval and some others have been lying。 If it was hair or something bloody he would have to confiscate it after the ceremonial ended。 He would have the lab check it with Horseman's and； if it matched； have a messy murder investigation on his hands。 But he was fairly sure Sandoval hadn't been lying。 Linking Horseman to the witching case had never really made sense； never really been more than a faint possibility where no other possibilities were offered。 As far as Leaphorn could pin down the witching gossip； Horseman had hardly returned to the Lukachukais when the incidents started； and at least one had happened before the knifing in Gallup。 Besides； the types suspected of witchcraft were always older； usually with a lot of material possessions and a lot of enemies。
There was the sound of chanting from the ceremonial hogan now； and the thudding of the pot drum。 Sandoval came through the curtain； followed by Tsosie； two cousins； and the uncle who was representing Agnes Tsosie。 Even their loin cloths had been blackened with ashes； and each held in his right hand a raven beak； secured to a juniper stick with yucca and buckskin thongs。 The Scalp Shooter picked up his basket of ashes and was walking north…northeast。 It was the direction； Leaphorn noted； of the higher central peaks of the Lukachukais。 Over the peaks； a tremendous thunderhead was rising； its top boiling in relentless slow motion into the stratosphere； its bottom black with shadow and trailing the first thin curtains of rain。
Sandoval will know his medicine is working； Leaphorn thought。 He has called for Thunder to kill the Wolf and Thunder has e to the appointed place。 It was interesting that the Singer from the Stick Carrier's camp had placed the scalp so carefully north…by…northeast of the hogan。 That meant they believed the Wolf was now somewhere in that direction。
Leaphorn trailed along with the crowd。 The Scalp Shooter had stopped at a dead creosote bush about two hundred yards from the hogan and was sprinkling something under the bush with ash。 He stepped aside and Tsosie and his kinsmen poked at the object with their raven bills； killing it with this symbol of contempt。 Leaphorn pushed through the crowd。 The spectators were silent now and he could hear the attackers muttering； 〃It is dead。 It is dead；〃 each time they struck the symbolic scalp。
The object the crowbills were striking was a high…crowned black hat。
Instantly； Leaphorn correlated this new fact with other information； with the bulky stranger trying on hats in Shoemaker's； with the question of why a worthless hat would be stolen and a valuable silver concho band left behin