“You think Stony shot your father by accident?” Ken questioned.
“Either that, or it was an Indian bullet, as Stony claimed.”
“Do Indians live in the hollow?”
“No. The area is uninhabited, as far as I know. Folks deliberately avoid that section of the mountain. Prospectors who have tried to go there in recent years—well, they just seem to have bad luck.”
“You’re referring to Joe Hansart’s disappearance?” Mr. Livingston remarked.
“There have been other things, too,” the rancher admitted reluctantly. “A couple of ambitious young rock climbers thought they would tackle Crazy Mountain two years ago. One of ’em had a bad fall.”
“That could happen to anyone.”
“True. But this kid claimed someone above him started an avalanche. No one hereabouts put any stock in it—but it did serve to stir up rumors again.”
“Rumors?”
“Oh, I’m not superstitious, and I know you folks aren’t, either. The tale is that the Spirit of Crazy Mountain guards the place.”