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Show 128 sheep, his tail thumping the bottom of the pick-up. "Tie your dog here in the truck, Josh," Mr. Raintree said. Reluctantly Josh tied him to a ring at the rear of the cab. He was wondering if he should ask if the mayor's pardon of Chinook didn't include what had happened at the Courdelay ranch. Dreading what he would find, Josh got down slowly from the truck. Alongside Cap, he followed the men as they approached the carcasses of the sheep near a pile of rocks. Some magpies which had landed on the dead sheep took off in a flutter as they approached. Josh could see blood from the parts of the sheep that had been eaten. Mr. Raintree circled the dead sheep several times, studying the ground. At a water hole nearby, the old man squatted and spread his fingers to measure some tracks he found. Courdelay watched without speaking. "Look here, Courdelay," Mr. Raintree motioned to the sheepman. He pointed to the tracks. "Here's the same sign we see all over- around the dead sheep, at the water hole, and around the fringes of your herd. See the size?" Again he knelt and spread his fingers. Courdelay leaned over, puckered his lips in speculation, and rubbed his chin. "As you well know, I'm sure, those are coyote tracks," Raintree said. "Did you ever notice the size of the feet on that big galoot there in the truck? Near as big as dinner plates. Maybe you've been a little quick to judge." Without saying anything, Courdelay leaned over to size up the tracks once more. "Do you see even one track around here anywhere near the size |