“What’s this all about? Who are you?” the man called Trigger said as he joined them. “Good work, Al,” he said to the older man, and went over to the deer, knelt down to look her over.

“Stay away from that deer,” Nick said quietly.

“Why should I? We brought it down. It’s ours. I flushed her out and my buddy here, he got her.”

But he scrambled to his feet and went back to his friends.

“It’s ten minutes past five now. It was four minutes past when you shot her. We’ll go after the warden.”

“Hey, are you crazy?” the young man laughed. “What’s five minutes?”

“Worth five bucks to you?” Trigger took out his wallet.

But he took one look at Nick’s eyes and put it back.

“Let’s talk this over,” Al said.

“Nothing to talk about,” Nick said, very quiet. “You’re caught, that’s all. Old Pete saw you shoot. I saw the wounded deer. Also you happen to be on posted land. You’re trespassing.”

“Are we in Nazi Germany or what?” Trigger exchanged a half-amused, half-belligerent look with the, two others. They were standing close together now, and Old Pete was standing just behind Nick.

“You’re in New Hampshire, in case you don’t know,” Old Pete said drily. He was enjoying himself. For him it had been a game of cops and robbers, and the cops, he and Nick, had won. Great day! But then, from where he was, he couldn’t see Nick’s face.

“This your land?” the young man asked.

“None of your business.”

“Well, whoever’s deer it is, we’d better get her out of here before it gets too dark to see,” Al said, trying to change the atmosphere, which was not exactly pleasant.

“The warden will see to that tomorrow,” Nick told them. “You’re coming with me now, to tell him exactly what happened.”

“What’s the matter with you anyway?” Trigger asked in bewilderment. “We’ve been out here all day and you’d cheat us of the only deer we got. What ails you, man?” He gave Nick’s stony face a glance. “I’m about pooped, I can tell you.”

Nick said nothing, just stood there, his rifle resting in the crook of his arm.

“Well, where’s Andy?” the young man, Jack, asked.

“Must have gone back to the car. He said he didn’t feel too good. ’Bout a half hour ago. Will he be mad he missed this!”

The four men stood there, no one knowing what to do or say before Nick and his contained fury, which was nonetheless there among them like a dangerous bomb that must be defused somehow.

Old Pete looked shrewdly around, took in the expensive rifles and gear, heavy rope, knives.