them. He could probably see them but unless they moved he could not tell what they were.
Out of the corner of his eye, Billy saw the rifle inch into position. In his mind's eye he could hear the stunning report, see Wolf leap into the air, and run, mortally wounded, until he could run no more. He could not stand the picture. He screamed aloud.
Both animals were running for their lives. The rifle cracked and Billy saw snow leap three feet behind Wolf. There was no time for the old man to fire again; the animals were tearing through the woods at top speed. In seconds they had disappeared.
Abe Zook rose slowly to his feet and took out the shell. Then he turned to Billy. "Why?" he asked quietly.
"I couldn't stand seeing him shot."
"Boy, I have watched you by the fire when you think I am asleep. I know what you do. Your soul goes out to those werewolffen and you make one with them. I have said nothing because I know you will not believe me, but this is hexerei—black magic. I have seen power in you but it is the power of evil, like with John Stoltzfus. I tell you the spirit of Nelson Rehmeyer, the evil braucher, is in that animal. He has put his mark on you and is calling you away. Someday, he will kill you and you will run the woods as a werewolf, like him."
"That's crazy."
"It is true, you can stay here no longer. I will write your parents and send you back to the city."
Billy felt numb. Then he burst out, "You want to get rid of me. Everyone wants to get rid of me. I don't care if I go back to the city or not. I don't care what happens to me."
Abe Zook reloaded the gun and put it on safety. He said, "We go back now."
"What about Dracula?"
"Let the owl go. You cannot take him to the city."
Billy thought of the long hours and days he had spent training Dracula, and losing the bird was like losing part of himself. "I'm going to find him and take the straps off his legs first. They might get tangled in a branch and he'd hang there until he died."
"Do what you will. Those werewolffen will stay awhile gone. Be back before dark."
"Sure. If I don't find Dracula before dark, there's no use looking for him anymore."
Abe Zook turned away. He had only gone a few steps before he stopped. "No, I cannot leave you here. You are right that the owl will hang himself up. I would not want that to happen to any creature. I help you look."
They started off together. It did not take Billy long to find where he had thrown off Dracula after the grouse; his footprints showed him the place. He pointed out the direction that the birds had taken.
"So!" said Zook. "You go there, I will go here. Let us hope he did not kill, for otherwise he will not be hungry and will not return. But it has been a long time and we can only hope he did not go too far."
An hour later, Billy heard Abe Zook's voice lifted in a long call. Wild with hope, he ran toward the sound, falling in the snowdrifts but still keeping on.
When he reached the old man, Zook was standing by a tangle of bindweed. There was a circle of grouse feathers, a leg and part of the backbone. Billy caught his breath and looked up. There was no sign of a brown owl among the naked black branches.
Zook pointed to an X stamped in the snow where one of Dracula's feet, spread to the uttermost for the death grip, had broken the surface. "Yes, he killed here and now he has fed."
Billy said choking, "I'll never see him again."
Zook hesitated a moment. "I fear there is little chance. Even if we find him, he will not come to you for food now. Still, let us look once."
There are few projects more disheartening than looking for a bird. With a mammal that must keep to the ground, there is always the chance of picking up tracks, and at least the quarry cannot go too much faster than the pursuer. A bird leaves no tracks and can cover a mile with a few flaps of his wings. At the end of three hours, Billy was ready to give up. Zook had gone off in another direction, as there was no use in their
Out of the corner of his eye, Billy saw the rifle inch into position. In his mind's eye he could hear the stunning report, see Wolf leap into the air, and run, mortally wounded, until he could run no more. He could not stand the picture. He screamed aloud.
Both animals were running for their lives. The rifle cracked and Billy saw snow leap three feet behind Wolf. There was no time for the old man to fire again; the animals were tearing through the woods at top speed. In seconds they had disappeared.
Abe Zook rose slowly to his feet and took out the shell. Then he turned to Billy. "Why?" he asked quietly.
"I couldn't stand seeing him shot."
"Boy, I have watched you by the fire when you think I am asleep. I know what you do. Your soul goes out to those werewolffen and you make one with them. I have said nothing because I know you will not believe me, but this is hexerei—black magic. I have seen power in you but it is the power of evil, like with John Stoltzfus. I tell you the spirit of Nelson Rehmeyer, the evil braucher, is in that animal. He has put his mark on you and is calling you away. Someday, he will kill you and you will run the woods as a werewolf, like him."
"That's crazy."
"It is true, you can stay here no longer. I will write your parents and send you back to the city."
Billy felt numb. Then he burst out, "You want to get rid of me. Everyone wants to get rid of me. I don't care if I go back to the city or not. I don't care what happens to me."
Abe Zook reloaded the gun and put it on safety. He said, "We go back now."
"What about Dracula?"
"Let the owl go. You cannot take him to the city."
Billy thought of the long hours and days he had spent training Dracula, and losing the bird was like losing part of himself. "I'm going to find him and take the straps off his legs first. They might get tangled in a branch and he'd hang there until he died."
"Do what you will. Those werewolffen will stay awhile gone. Be back before dark."
"Sure. If I don't find Dracula before dark, there's no use looking for him anymore."
Abe Zook turned away. He had only gone a few steps before he stopped. "No, I cannot leave you here. You are right that the owl will hang himself up. I would not want that to happen to any creature. I help you look."
They started off together. It did not take Billy long to find where he had thrown off Dracula after the grouse; his footprints showed him the place. He pointed out the direction that the birds had taken.
"So!" said Zook. "You go there, I will go here. Let us hope he did not kill, for otherwise he will not be hungry and will not return. But it has been a long time and we can only hope he did not go too far."
An hour later, Billy heard Abe Zook's voice lifted in a long call. Wild with hope, he ran toward the sound, falling in the snowdrifts but still keeping on.
When he reached the old man, Zook was standing by a tangle of bindweed. There was a circle of grouse feathers, a leg and part of the backbone. Billy caught his breath and looked up. There was no sign of a brown owl among the naked black branches.
Zook pointed to an X stamped in the snow where one of Dracula's feet, spread to the uttermost for the death grip, had broken the surface. "Yes, he killed here and now he has fed."
Billy said choking, "I'll never see him again."
Zook hesitated a moment. "I fear there is little chance. Even if we find him, he will not come to you for food now. Still, let us look once."
There are few projects more disheartening than looking for a bird. With a mammal that must keep to the ground, there is always the chance of picking up tracks, and at least the quarry cannot go too much faster than the pursuer. A bird leaves no tracks and can cover a mile with a few flaps of his wings. At the end of three hours, Billy was ready to give up. Zook had gone off in another direction, as there was no use in their
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