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At the foot of the hill they overtook McCorquodale and Cristy just as the sharp bark of the detective's automatic sent three pursuers hastily to cover. The big Swede swept the girl over his shoulder as if she had been a sack of meal and started rapidly up the ascent while Kendrick dropped behind a rock and joined McCorquodale in the fusilade with his own weapon.
"There's a lot of talking to be done, but it can wait. You lie down and get some rest, old man, " "Can it! Can it!" whispered McCorquodale fiercely. He held up his hand and listened. After the uproar of the past twenty minutes the sudden quiet in the vicinity of the camp was ominous. There was no longer any sound of Podmore or of the chase.
"Well, well, well!" was the greeting McCorquodale launched. "He tore the false beard off his chin an' there stood Tom! How are you, Kendrick?" Phil eyed him anxiously as they shook hands. "Drop out of the clouds, man? I just got the Chief's wire this afternoon. In heaven's name, McCorquodale, what's the meaning of all this?"
"McCorquodale, we can't sit here and see him killed in front of our eyes. This thing's gone far enough. I'm going out there " But the detective grabbed him and with an oath dragged him back. "Y' gone clean nutty?" he protested furiously. "Wanta get croaked, y' poor fish? Fat chanst y' got with them bohunks armed with rifles! It's six to one!" "They're scaring the poor devil to death, I tell you.
He seemed to have a defense for every kind of attack. As Kendrick and McCorquodale first got sight of him three of the gang were rushing him simultaneously.
What time is it now?" "Not quite ten o'clock," answered Phil, glancing at his watch. "If I could get away from here immediately, I could make it wire the story to the Recorder with instructions to communicate with the police to-night, I mean. The paper doesn't go to press until after three-thirty. But there's no time to lose." "Hey, 'bo!" called McCorquodale sharply.
He hastened away to post McCorquodale and Svenson to watch for further demonstrations from the enemy. There was no sign of any intention on the part of Red McIvor's men to assault the impregnable position. The whole gang seemed to have drawn off, for the present at least, and it would be impossible for any of them to creep up the hill without giving ample warning of their approach.
If the McCorquodale incident earlier in the evening had lowered his opinion of his own judgment he was now ready to concede that he had no judgment whatsoever. It was of little use to tell himself that it served her right, or that she had dared him deliberately to do what he had done.
It looked to be as good an opportunity as they were likely to have for attempting to reach the river. Unless somebody had a better suggestion to offer, let Miss Lawson, Svenson and Jimmy slip away, while McCorquodale and he talked to these fellows on the opposite side of the hill. "We'll jolly them along as well as we can to give the rest of you as much time as possible.
It looked like an old toothbrush which has had desperate adventures in an overpacked travelling bag. This hirsute anomaly Mr. McCorquodale now stroked complacently, enjoying the effect of his surprising speech. "The reason I beats it just now," he went on, "is 'cause I thought 'twas Long Jawr, the butler, as was after me. I gotta keep incog with the servants, see.
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