Part 4 (1/2)
”Flyin' catfish,” Harris said scornfully ”You s that yarn?”
”Didn't you?” Rick asked quickly
”Not any That why you picked this creek to anchor in when there's so many nicer ones upstreaet out of that squall last night We didn't exactly pick it Afterward, we realized where ere”
”Why don't you believe the story about Link Harris?” Rick wanted to know
”Oh, I believe some of it” The crabber took out a blackened, ht We found his boat yonder” He pointed to a spot on the marshy shore
”He didn't drown?” Rick pressed
Harris shrugged ”Not very likely We'd have found his body Way the tides were that day, there was no ebb tide strong enough to carry a body out into deep water The creek was clear We'd have seen hio?” Scotty demanded
”Can't say When he disappeared, I went to Baltiht every book on flyin' saucers I could lay hands on All I know for sure is that what folks have been seein' around here ain't saucers Shape's wrong, color's wrong, and they don't move the way the books say”
”Would you say they were diamond-shaped, dark in color, with tails?”
Rick asked carefully
Harris stopped with a match halfway to his pipe ”I would For sure
When'd you see one?”
”Last night Right here”
”M well and threw the match into the water ”I've never seen one close Hoped to That's why I crab this creek Would you say it was big enough to catch alook, but I'd say definitely not Unless it had some kind of powerful motor I couldn't see or hear”
Harris puffed silently
”Any theories?” Scotty asked
”Not one I'm barren as the flats in winter”
Rick finished his coffee and put the one away of his own accord?”
”I wouldn't think so” Harris accepted more coffee from Scotty ”But let's keep one foot anchored Who knohat's in a man's mind? Any man?
Sometimes there's a deep channel full of black water, and nothin' to make you suspect it Maybe Link did walk off It would be the easiest explanation--if you hadn't seen soive up Now I'oin' somewhere If we could find out whence and whither, so to speak, we ht have an idea of what happened to Link”