this was added hair from the head of Jack Fasig, for many years the terror of the area, who had stood six feet four, weighed 260 pounds, and could pick up two 100-pound bags of flour under each arm. There was blood from a famous fighting cock and the tooth of a wildcat. To these was added part of a mandrake root, some of the precious ginseng, and wolfsbane. They were wrapped in a piece of paper and on it Abe Zook wrote, "Whoever has this letter shall not fail nor be defeated by an enemy."
"Tomorrow I will tie this around Wasser's neck," Abe Zook explained. "Now get ready to sleep. Tomorrow is a long day. First, I will put a fresh poultice on the hand."
Billy was tired; but now that he was able to go to bed, he twisted for what seemed hours before he finally dozed off. Once asleep, he slept so heavily that Zook had to shake him awake the next morning. Ike Yoder had come, and dimly he heard the two men moving about until Zook's reproving "The fire you should be making, no?" forced him to get up. Breakfast was a huge meal with Schnitz und Knepp—dumplings and apples—corn fritters, and molasses pie contributed by Yoder, whose wife was a famous cook. It needed only to be reheated.
The boy was still eating when the men finished. Abe Zook loaded his gun and then said somewhat irritably, "Ain't you ready yet? Come, eat yourself full." Billy bolted down the rest of his pie and joined them, although he was sorry to see the gun. The sky was milky in the east but the farmyard was still dark as a puddle of spilt ink. They clambered into the car and started off, with Billy and Wasser in the back seat, huddled together for warmth.
They stopped once at a small house by the side of the road to pick up Isaac Lapp and his two dogs. Isaac was a big, noisy man, who enjoyed asking Billy a series of riddles such as, "What kind of stones are found in a stream?" the answer being "Wet ones." By the time they reached the Yoder farm, it was light enough to turn off the car's headlights.
Ike went to the barn and returned with the three hounds: a bluetick, a long-legged Plott, and an eager young Walker. Wasser and Lapp's hounds jumped down from the car to greet them. Obviously all the dogs knew each other and after a brief exchange of sniffs they scattered through the wet grass, looking for rabbit tracks. The men brought them back with shouted orders and started across the pasture.
"The scent should be good—the old ladies are airing their nightcaps, eh boy?" said Lapp. He pointed to the dew-covered spider webs gleaming like lace on the grass in the thin light. Yoder said glumly, "Like falling weather it looks."
"Ah, the rain will hold off until evening," replied Lapp, glancing up. It was a day of steel sky, forbidding without being actually threatening. Billy, abashed by the presence of the two other men, plodded along silently. The cold air hurt his lungs, and jets of smoke sprang from his mouth at each step. He saw Wasser casting around with the charm tied to his neck and called to him. The hound ran over but Abe Zook sent him back. "He must stay with the others," he told Billy. "Today he must work, not play."
They came to the angle of the fence where the bodies of the sheep lay piled together, wedged into the wire. They had been trapped here by their pursuers and savaged in the frenzy of the hunt. Lapp knelt by the torn forms and pointed to bloody wounds. "Well, they was back last night. These marks are fresh, ain't they?"
"Fresh they are," said Ike Yoder joining him. "A lantern we want yet. Tracks there are maybe."
Lapp struck a match while the hounds ran up to sniff the dead animals. "Can't see nothing," he complained. "Wait a minute. Maybe this is a track." One of the hounds ran over and buried his nose in the mark. "Look, dog, how can I see if you've got your nose in it?" He cuffed the hound away and struck another match. "Hey, Zook, take a look at this."
The old man moved over with long strides, and after one look, called Billy to
"Tomorrow I will tie this around Wasser's neck," Abe Zook explained. "Now get ready to sleep. Tomorrow is a long day. First, I will put a fresh poultice on the hand."
Billy was tired; but now that he was able to go to bed, he twisted for what seemed hours before he finally dozed off. Once asleep, he slept so heavily that Zook had to shake him awake the next morning. Ike Yoder had come, and dimly he heard the two men moving about until Zook's reproving "The fire you should be making, no?" forced him to get up. Breakfast was a huge meal with Schnitz und Knepp—dumplings and apples—corn fritters, and molasses pie contributed by Yoder, whose wife was a famous cook. It needed only to be reheated.
The boy was still eating when the men finished. Abe Zook loaded his gun and then said somewhat irritably, "Ain't you ready yet? Come, eat yourself full." Billy bolted down the rest of his pie and joined them, although he was sorry to see the gun. The sky was milky in the east but the farmyard was still dark as a puddle of spilt ink. They clambered into the car and started off, with Billy and Wasser in the back seat, huddled together for warmth.
They stopped once at a small house by the side of the road to pick up Isaac Lapp and his two dogs. Isaac was a big, noisy man, who enjoyed asking Billy a series of riddles such as, "What kind of stones are found in a stream?" the answer being "Wet ones." By the time they reached the Yoder farm, it was light enough to turn off the car's headlights.
Ike went to the barn and returned with the three hounds: a bluetick, a long-legged Plott, and an eager young Walker. Wasser and Lapp's hounds jumped down from the car to greet them. Obviously all the dogs knew each other and after a brief exchange of sniffs they scattered through the wet grass, looking for rabbit tracks. The men brought them back with shouted orders and started across the pasture.
"The scent should be good—the old ladies are airing their nightcaps, eh boy?" said Lapp. He pointed to the dew-covered spider webs gleaming like lace on the grass in the thin light. Yoder said glumly, "Like falling weather it looks."
"Ah, the rain will hold off until evening," replied Lapp, glancing up. It was a day of steel sky, forbidding without being actually threatening. Billy, abashed by the presence of the two other men, plodded along silently. The cold air hurt his lungs, and jets of smoke sprang from his mouth at each step. He saw Wasser casting around with the charm tied to his neck and called to him. The hound ran over but Abe Zook sent him back. "He must stay with the others," he told Billy. "Today he must work, not play."
They came to the angle of the fence where the bodies of the sheep lay piled together, wedged into the wire. They had been trapped here by their pursuers and savaged in the frenzy of the hunt. Lapp knelt by the torn forms and pointed to bloody wounds. "Well, they was back last night. These marks are fresh, ain't they?"
"Fresh they are," said Ike Yoder joining him. "A lantern we want yet. Tracks there are maybe."
Lapp struck a match while the hounds ran up to sniff the dead animals. "Can't see nothing," he complained. "Wait a minute. Maybe this is a track." One of the hounds ran over and buried his nose in the mark. "Look, dog, how can I see if you've got your nose in it?" He cuffed the hound away and struck another match. "Hey, Zook, take a look at this."
The old man moved over with long strides, and after one look, called Billy to
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