needed him for a while longer. That was Graef’s greatest weakness. He had no real weapon against those he needed.
Mallory said, “Before you work me over, you’d better find Blalock, Graef.”
Graef stopped and twisted around. The place where Blalock had stood was empty. There was no sign of him at all.
Graef screamed, “Nick, get him!”
“Calm down, Miles,” Thoms said. “He can’t go nowhere. Take it easy.”
Mallory could see the cords standing out ropelike on Graef’s neck. Mallory took a deep breath. He could feel strength flowing back into his body.
He took a step forward just as Graef started to turn back to him. He pushed, knocking Graef into Thoms. Thoms tried to get around Graef and come for Mallory. He stumbled over Graef and fell, taking Graef down with him.
Mallory turned and ran for the tent.
He heard the gun at the same instant something knocked against his leg. He stumbled off stride, caught himself, and ran on. He thought in surprise, I’ve been shot!
Chapter XIV
M ALLORY plunged into the darkness behind the tent. He put his hand to his leg and brought his fingers away quickly. They were damp with blood.
He lay on his belly in the grass and wriggled around the rear of the tent until he could see the campfire. He understood then why he had not been pursued. Thoms was running for the far side of the meadow, in an attempt to locate Blalock. Graef was walking toward the gap.
Mallory wondered if he had really gained anything. Blalock must be somewhere in the trees because he certainly hadn’t had time to reach the gap and leave the meadow. With Graef guarding the entrance, Thoms could search the thin strips of timber around the meadow methodically. In time he could turn up anyone hiding in them.
But not without a fight, Mallory thought. Not any longer.
He crawled back to the front of the tent and then inside it. He called softly, “Denise!” His voice echoed softly back from the dark canvas walls. The still air held the sound emptily.
Mallory crawled around, feeling with his fingers. She had come and gone. His hand touched the jersey and the tight trousers she had been wearing, her open suitcase as well; the bedrolls had been zipped open and their warm innerliners removed; his knapsack was gone. So was the bag of food. He located his own suitcase by touch and rummaged through it. The.22 was missing.
Mallory wondered what she could have had in mind when she loaded herself down with so much equipment. Even if she managed to get away, she could hardly carry the load she had concocted for herself very far.
He moved to the front of the tent and looked out cautiously. Thoms was not in sight. Graef was a silhouette standing guard in the gap. Mallory could see the rising moon glint against Graef’s gun.
Mallory worked back to his suitcase. His leg was beginning to hurt badly now. He could feel the steady, warm flow of blood. He wished he had his first-aid kit, but it was in the knapsack Denise had taken. Mallory knew he’d need the sulpha powder and the compresses which were in that kit very soon.
He made a temporary bandage out of a pair of clean shorts. He found a flannel shirt and thrust some spare clothing into it. Then he tied it up, making a bundle out of it. He located his hunting knife and attached it to his belt. He used the arms of the flannel shirt to fix the bundle around his neck. He crawled out of the tent toward the creek.
He could hear Thoms in the distance. His heavy body was flailing the underbrush and the thick timber. He was as quiet as a wounded bear.
Mallory grinned savagely through the pain shooting up from his thigh. A brief exploration with his fingers before he had applied the makeshift bandage had pretty well assured him that the wound was more in the nature of a deep burn from the bullet. Because of that it hurt more than a cleanly drilled hole would have. And, Mallory knew, it could also infect faster.
He crossed the creek bed on his hands and knees,
Mallory said, “Before you work me over, you’d better find Blalock, Graef.”
Graef stopped and twisted around. The place where Blalock had stood was empty. There was no sign of him at all.
Graef screamed, “Nick, get him!”
“Calm down, Miles,” Thoms said. “He can’t go nowhere. Take it easy.”
Mallory could see the cords standing out ropelike on Graef’s neck. Mallory took a deep breath. He could feel strength flowing back into his body.
He took a step forward just as Graef started to turn back to him. He pushed, knocking Graef into Thoms. Thoms tried to get around Graef and come for Mallory. He stumbled over Graef and fell, taking Graef down with him.
Mallory turned and ran for the tent.
He heard the gun at the same instant something knocked against his leg. He stumbled off stride, caught himself, and ran on. He thought in surprise, I’ve been shot!
Chapter XIV
M ALLORY plunged into the darkness behind the tent. He put his hand to his leg and brought his fingers away quickly. They were damp with blood.
He lay on his belly in the grass and wriggled around the rear of the tent until he could see the campfire. He understood then why he had not been pursued. Thoms was running for the far side of the meadow, in an attempt to locate Blalock. Graef was walking toward the gap.
Mallory wondered if he had really gained anything. Blalock must be somewhere in the trees because he certainly hadn’t had time to reach the gap and leave the meadow. With Graef guarding the entrance, Thoms could search the thin strips of timber around the meadow methodically. In time he could turn up anyone hiding in them.
But not without a fight, Mallory thought. Not any longer.
He crawled back to the front of the tent and then inside it. He called softly, “Denise!” His voice echoed softly back from the dark canvas walls. The still air held the sound emptily.
Mallory crawled around, feeling with his fingers. She had come and gone. His hand touched the jersey and the tight trousers she had been wearing, her open suitcase as well; the bedrolls had been zipped open and their warm innerliners removed; his knapsack was gone. So was the bag of food. He located his own suitcase by touch and rummaged through it. The.22 was missing.
Mallory wondered what she could have had in mind when she loaded herself down with so much equipment. Even if she managed to get away, she could hardly carry the load she had concocted for herself very far.
He moved to the front of the tent and looked out cautiously. Thoms was not in sight. Graef was a silhouette standing guard in the gap. Mallory could see the rising moon glint against Graef’s gun.
Mallory worked back to his suitcase. His leg was beginning to hurt badly now. He could feel the steady, warm flow of blood. He wished he had his first-aid kit, but it was in the knapsack Denise had taken. Mallory knew he’d need the sulpha powder and the compresses which were in that kit very soon.
He made a temporary bandage out of a pair of clean shorts. He found a flannel shirt and thrust some spare clothing into it. Then he tied it up, making a bundle out of it. He located his hunting knife and attached it to his belt. He used the arms of the flannel shirt to fix the bundle around his neck. He crawled out of the tent toward the creek.
He could hear Thoms in the distance. His heavy body was flailing the underbrush and the thick timber. He was as quiet as a wounded bear.
Mallory grinned savagely through the pain shooting up from his thigh. A brief exploration with his fingers before he had applied the makeshift bandage had pretty well assured him that the wound was more in the nature of a deep burn from the bullet. Because of that it hurt more than a cleanly drilled hole would have. And, Mallory knew, it could also infect faster.
He crossed the creek bed on his hands and knees,
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