boat was mine.
“Jump, Alan!” I yelled at Groot. I tried a shot at Wan Shih, but missed him. His boat was coming about, not thirty feet away, and she had great commotion aboard.
Groot scrambled for the halyard, got it and heaved. The sail rose, and Groot stood there not knowing what to do with the halyard.
“Hold it!” I sang out. “Mary, come here and steer!”
She was beside me instantly, and I gave her my small automatic. Then I went forward at a leap and grabbed the halyard from Alan’s hand. We were moving already. I got the line made fast, and stood up.
It was at this instant that Rosoff shot me in the back.
CHAPTER VII
We Win—To Lose
Most unhappily, I had not allowed for solid ivory when I hit Rosoff, although I should have reflected that any German-Russ would naturally have a thick head. Instead of killing him as I had feared, the blow had only scotched him momentarily.
He lay there in the bottom of the boat, his hand lifted, the smoke still curling from his pistol. Mary was helpless, for a gust had caught the boat and the helm was nearly shoving her overboard.
Even at this moment of crisis, I was set on not killing Rosoff. I could have done so easily enough. He was frightfully unsteady and was trying to control himself for the finishing shot. My own automatic leaped out as I saw his finger flex on the trigger, and my shot went home. His arm jerked violently and the pistol dropped. He lay staring at the shattered, red-smeared thing that had been his hand.
“That’s what we call real shooting,” I observed. “Out, Mary! Head out!”
Mary threw her weight on the tiller, and we went hissing away from the bank into which we had so nearly run. Behind us, Wan Shih’s men had hoisted their sail and were coming after us with gathering speed, amid shrill yells.
“Groot! Go help Mary with that helm,” I ordered. “When they open fire, shove her out of the way. Head straight down the river.”
Groot clawed his way aft. Neither he nor Mary Fisher realized that I had been hit, but I realized it. So did Rosoff. I glanced down, met the baron’s eyes fastened upon me, and our gaze held for a minute. To do him justice, he let out no whimper.
“Well?” he said. “Finish it. Murder me quickly.”
“Not at all,” I returned. “I’m anxious not to disable you, my dear baron. I mean to hang you when we reach the city, and I’d hate to spoil the show!”
“Damn you! You’ll not live to reach there!”
I began to think that this might be true. Thus far, I had not dared move from where I stood, for I knew only that his one shot had gone home. The numbing shock of the bullet had killed the pain.
Now I glanced down, and realized why there was no life in my left arm. The bullet had been well enough intended, but Rosoff’s rather dazed condition or else the motion of the boat had spoiled the intention. The bullet had broken my shoulder, and the blood was beginning to show. A cry from Mary showed that she had perceived it.
These things take long in the telling, for at the crucial moments of life and death time appears suspended to the brain’s perception and what may pass in an instant will require long to set down upon paper.
Groot was at the helm, and I perceived that he had it well in hand. I sat down, laid aside my weapon, and unbuckled my belt. I made shift to get it about my neck, and so improvised a sling which would carry my useless arm. Mary came hastily to help me and—so quickly had the affair passed—it was now Wan Shih opened fire. I think that three minutes might cover the action from the time of the first blow.
The other boat was fifty feet behind us and not gaining perceptibly; the wind was coming with that gathering gusto which brings rain, and all the world had turned to darkness. Wan Shih and his gang were not exposing themselves more than they had to, but rifles began to crack and it was plain their craft had carried concealed arms.
As Mary stumbled toward me, I caught her arm and pressed her back.
“Down!” I cried at her. “I’m all right, girl. You, Rosoff! Stand up. Stand up, you dog, or I’ll drill you through the foot!”
I caught up my pistol. At that, Rosoff came to his knees, clutched the gunnel with his good hand and rose shakily to his feet. He saw that I meant business. When he came into sight. Wan Shih ceased firing.
“Hurt, Groot?” I sang out.
Alan shook his head. His glasses had gone in the excitement.
“Can’t see well,” his voice floated down the wind to us. “But I can hold her.”
I looked at Rosoff.
“You try to jump, and I’ll get you!” I said, holding my gun on him. “Mary, don’t get between us—that’s right. We’re safe enough now. We can outrun them to the river, at least. Where’s that gun I gave you?”
She pushed it at me. I emptied my own weapon at the other boat, and got the helmsman. She yawed for a moment, then came on again. I dared fire no more, since we were short of cartridges, and Rosoff’s gun lay in the stern near Alan.
Rosoff heard the click when my gun emptied, and gathered himself. That man was no coward, whatever else he was! He was in the act of jumping when I caught up the pistol Mary shoved forward, and let him have it in the right arm. He whirled around, lost his balance, and came down.
“Up!” I shouted at him. Mary had covered her eyes. “Up, or you’ll catch it in the foot!”
Cursing, the baron rose. Just in time too, for Wan Shih had opened fire again and a bullet tore through the sail above my head. This settled matters, for Rosoff dared try no more tricks. He stood there cursing at me like a madman, both arms useless, but serving us as a shield against pursuing fire.
“How’s everything ahead?” I asked Mary. “I can’t take my eyes off our friend here.”
She rose, and struggled to a position beside me. The first drops of rain were sweeping down, and the wind was beginning to howl. Wan Shih was maintaining his position, both of us diving directly before the wind.
“It’s hard to see,” responded Mary, peering ahead. “We’re out in the centre—”
“Any bridges that you know of?”
“There are none below, I’m certain. We came down as far as the Min River one day with Wan Shih.”
“Then we’re all to the good,” I returned, and drew a breath of relief. “Can your uncle see without his glasses?”
“Not well, no. But well enough to keep us from running into shore.”
I doubted it, for the storm-darkness was pretty murky. I doubted it still more a couple of minutes later, when the rain began to come down in driving sheets that blotted out the shores from view. Still, I could do nothing. With the excitement of action over, the pain was beginning to bear in upon me, bringing weakness with it.
Looking at Mary,
