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"Numbers, time,  and  the  fact that  they  weren't  really  as blood-thirsty as people  make them out to be. Did  you ever hear of something  they did  called 'counting coup'?  No? It  was the wartime equivalent of  touch football. They went to  war like we go to ball games."

At Headwater's  only hospital  a  plump  nurse in  her  fifties wheeled out a shivering boy with bandaged stumps where his feet should have been. She was followed by  Deputies Bill  and Bob wheeling out one boy apiece, each with identical injuries.

Sullivan led   Felt  up   the  walkway   and  made   the  first introductions. "Felt, this is  nurse Ella  Fader,  and in  the wheelchair is  young Scott  Hilling. Ella,  this is  FBI Special Agent Mark Felt."

Felt couldn't help grinning at her name. She saw that and shook her head to warn him off.

After that Sullivan introduced Deputy Bob  Lurz, pushing Johnny Sunkel, and Deputy  Bill Holsinger  pushing Larry  Porter. Felt wondered aloud why they were being rolled out to see the snow.

Deputy Bob said, "Special Agent  in Charge Clyde Tolson  was of the mind they needed fresh air for about an hour."

Agent Sullivan told Felt, "The Indians here used  to believe if they  could make  a  captive  scream his  shade  would be  their servant  in  the  afterlife.  Some  still  remember.  Not  quite the  touch football  you mentioned  earlier. There  was a  young Indian  fellow in  this little  clinic a  few days  ago who  was horsewhipped. Goes by the name of Gabriel Shybear. I think these three boys  did it,  and I think  Gabriel's friends  worked them over with knives as payback. But nobody is talking, not Gabriel, and not these kids. Nobody wants to name names."

"Oh, there you  are Felt,"  SAIC  Clyde Tolson  said when  they arrived indoors. Felt remembered his  oblong face  and searing gaze from last year at Quantico when he inspected the graduating class 15 with Director Hoover.

The sheriff was also there and Sullivan  made the introduction, "Special Agent Mark Felt, this is Sheriff Roddy Walker."

Mark decided to hit the ground running. Even as he shook Roddy's hand he looked at his watch and said, "Sheriff, it's quarter of four and  I am  assuming responsibility for  this investigation. The Bureau expects your full cooperation."