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He stroked the soft feathery hair He pressed his cheek against the top of John Chanler’s head

"Ah, coed him "It’s not as bad as all that" He stepped toward him, and the doctor leveled his revolver at Hawk’s forehead

"You could have prevented this!" he cried "You were here a o He was a stone’s throw from you and you left him You left him!"

"Now, Doc, I told you what Fiddler said"

"The sa he said to me, and did I listen? Did I take him at his word? Did I allow him to take me for a fool?"

"Well," answered Hawk tensely, "maybe you’re just smarter than I am"

"That is no compliment"

With those words all passion drained froun dropped to his side His listlessness returned, the same curious apathy that had infected Hawk and , every word pointless, every gesture useless, every hope vain

I cannot say what day it was--it may have been the tenth or eleventh since our escape fro me, "Stay with Chanler, Will I need a ith your boss" They walked several yards up the path, and I follohich is completely understandable, I’m sure I eased up behind them to eavesdrop on their hurried and anxious conversation

"Are you certain?" the doctor was saying He sounded worried but dubious

Hawk nodded, wetting his lips "At first I thoughttricks on , but there’s noit, Doctor I’m sure of it"

"Since?"

"First heard it yesterday ht, then off and on today"

"The Iyiniwok?"

Hawk shrugged He wet his lips "Soh not a bear, nothing that big It’sstrange"

"If Fiddler’s an

"Then it could be whoever filleted hiue swiped across his chapped lips "Thought you should know"

"Thank you, Sergeant," the doctor said "Perhaps we should force a confrontation?"

Hawk shook his head "Just two of us--and God kno many of them Plus, there’s Chanler and Will to think about"

I returned to Chanler,Beneath the blackened lids Chanler’s eyes roa us, the mute forest brooded, shrouded in winter white

The gray land was deceptively still It kept its secrets

Soht I saw the yellow eyes for the first tiination, overheated by the conversation earlier in the day--a trick of the firelight, I thought Perhaps the reflection off a us The trees were festooned with all types of it No sooner had I noticed theone A moment later they returned, deep in the woods and this tiround, alrabbed Sergeant Hawk’s forearm--the doctor had already crawled into the tent to lie with Chanler--and pointed By the tiain

"What is it, Will?" he whispered

"Eyes," I whispered back "Over there"

For an eternity aited, barely drawing breath, scanning the dark, but they did not reappear

The eyes returned the following night Warthrop saw the into the bush with a look of almost comical astonishment

"Did you see that?" he asked us "My eyes are probably playing tricks on me, but--"