The Solar Magnet Page 6
Bird short-circuited the cells with ascrewdriver blade. No answering spark came from the terminals.
"Dead as a mackerel," he remarked. "I guess that ends that hope. Let'sget the machine guns out of her. Well have another attack soon andthey'll be more effective than our pistols."
It was the work of a few minutes to dismount the two Brownings from theplane. Carrying the two guns, Dr. Bird joined Carnes while McCreadystaggered along laden down with belts of ammunition.
"Do you remember that rocky knoll we passed just before we landed?"asked the lieutenant. "If we can get this stuff there before we areattacked, we'll have a much better chance than we will in the open."
"Good idea, Lieutenant. Carnes, connect yourself to one of these guns.I'll fasten the other on my back and carry Feodrovna. We can't leave herhere to Saranoff's tender mercies."
Through the night the little cavalcade made its way. The thunder of gunsfrom Fort Novadwinskaja kept up and the sky to the north was lighted bytheir flashes. McCready's bump of direction proved to be a good one forthe sought-for retreat was soon located. As they deposited their burdensand looked back, the lights of two trucks could be seen approachingacross the plain from the factory. Hurriedly they mounted the machinegun. Dr. Bird straightened up and listened carefully.
"The guns are sounding less frequently," he said. "Possibly the _Denver_has had enough and is pulling out."
"If I know Captain Evans as well as I think I do, the _Denver_ is notretreating," replied McCready grimly.
"I hope she's hammering the fort out of existence," said the doctor."However, our main interest just now is on the land front. Gunners tothe fore. Carnes, you aren't so good at this, better let McCready and mehandle them."
* * * * *
The trucks approached slowly. Presently the American plane loomed up inthe glare of their headlights. A powerful searchlight mounted on theleading truck swept the country. Discovery was a matter of moments.Lieutenant McCready trained his gun carefully and pressed the trigger. Arattle of fire came from the Browning. A crash was heard from the truckand the searchlight winked out.
"Bull's-eye!" cried Carnes exultantly.
"Down, you fool!" cried the doctor as he swept the detective from hisfeet and threw him down behind a rock. His action was none too soon. Aburst of machine gun fire came from the trucks and a hail of bulletssplattered on the rocks a few yards from them. McCready crawled back tohis gun.
"Wait a minute, Lieutenant," counseled the doctor. "A burst of fire fromhere will give them our location and probably do them little damage.Wait until they try to rush us."
They did not have long to wait. A guttural shout came from a point a fewyards away and the sound of running feet came to their ears. The rushwas directed toward a point a few yards to the left of where theycrouched. Dr. Bird swung his gun around. As the rush passed them, hereleased his trigger. A volley of screams and oaths from the plainanswered the crackle of the Browning. McCready's gun joined in with astaccato burst of fire. The attack could not live before that rain ofdeath. A few running feet were heard from the darkness and a fewgroans. Presently the roar of a motor came from the direction of theparked trucks. It retreated into the distance and all was quiet.
"Round two goes to us on a knock-down," said Carnes jubilantly. "Whatwill they do next, Doctor?"
"Probably nothing until daylight, now that they know we have machineguns. I wish that we could make that thicket, but it's too far to try.It'll be daylight in an hour or so."
The night was normally short in Archangel at that season of the year andthe unnatural lengthening of the day which Saranoff had accomplishedmade it shorter still. In an hour red streamers in the east announcedthe approach of daylight. Hardly had they appeared than a dull drone oftruck motors came from the direction of the factory.
"Round three is about to commence," announced Carnes. "I wish that Icould do something."
"You can as soon as our ammunition runs out, which won't be long,"replied McCready. "It will be a matter of pistols at close quarters."
* * * * *
The trucks approached to within a half mile and stopped. The distancewas too great to warrant wasting any of their scanty store of ammunitionat such long range. In the dim light they would see the Russians workingat the trucks. Presently a flash came from the plain. A whining soundfilled the air. With a crash a three-inch shell broke behind them.
"No fun," remarked the doctor. "We'll have to get better cover thanthis."
A second shell whined through the air and burst over their heads. Athird burst a few yards in front of them.
"They have us bracketed now," said McCready. "We'd better slide back apiece before they start rapid fire."
Dragging their prisoner with them, the three men made their way to thereverse side of the knoll. A short search revealed an overhanging ledgeunder which they crouched in comparative safety from anything but adirect hit above them.
"We're all right here except for the fact that they may rush us undercover of the fire," said the doctor. "One man will have to keep watchall the time and it will be a dangerous detail. I'll take the firsthitch."
"You will not!" exclaimed Carnes emphatically. "I have done nothing sofar and I am the least important member of the party. I'll do thewatching."
"Let's draw straws," suggested McCready. "I'm willing to do that, but ifit's a matter of volunteering, I refuse to yield to the civilianbranches of the government. The Navy has traditions to uphold, youknow."
"McCready's right," replied the doctor. "Get straws, Lieutenant, andwe'll draw."
McCready picked up three bits of grass and held them out.
"The shortest goes on watch," he said. Carnes and the doctor drew,McCready exhibited the remaining bit of grass. It was the shortest ofthe three. He waited until the next shell burst above them and thenstepped out from the shelter.
"I'll relieve you in fifteen minutes," said Carnes as he left.
"Right."
* * * * *
When the lieutenant had left, Dr. Bird removed the gag from Feodrovna'smouth and tried to argue with her, but the Russian girl only glared herhatred and refused to talk other than to abuse him. With a sigh, thedoctor gave over his efforts and talked to Carnes. The time passedslowly with a constant rain of shells on the knoll.
"It's time for my relief," said Carnes at length. As he spoke the hailof shells on the knoll ceased.
"What the dickens?" cried the doctor.
He and Carnes jumped from their shelter and ran over the knoll. On theplain a few hundred yards from them, a straggling line of Russians wereadvancing with fixed bayonets. McCready was nowhere in sight.
"Where the devil is McCready?" cried the doctor. "He must have beenkilled. Hello, one of the guns is gone, too. There's only a belt and ahalf of ammunition left. I'll try to break that attack up."
He advanced to the gun and trained it carefully. When he pressed thetrigger a dull click came from the gun.
"Misfire!" he cried. He drew back the bolt and inserted a freshcartridge. Again the gun clicked harmlessly. Dr. Bird ejected the shelland examined it. A deep indentation appeared on the primer. Hurriedly hetried a half dozen more cartridges but they refused to explode. Heturned a keen gaze toward the trucks. On the ground was set a tube-likeprojector pointing toward them. Dr. Bird swore softly and jerked hispistol from its holster. The hammer clicked futilely on a cartridge.
"Stymied!" he exclaimed. "They have that portable ray mechanism, withthem, which disabled our bombs. It's hand to hand, Carnesy, old dear. Iwonder where McCready is."
* * * * *
The Russians approached slowly, keeping their lines straight. They werewithin two hundred yards of the knoll. Suddenly from a point a hundredyards to the left of the end of the land came a rattle of fire. Theattacking line dropped in a pile of grotesque heaps.
"It's McCready!" shouted Carnes. A little ravine ran from the kno
lltoward the trucks. Sitting in the ravine was the lieutenant, playing aBrowning machine gun on the line of attackers. When there were no moreof them on their feet, he turned his gun on the trucks. Panic seized theRussians and they made a rush for their truck. Their leader leaped amongthem, yelling furiously. They paused and turned to the projector tube.Slowly they swung it around. The lieutenant's gun ceased firing.
As the Russians rushed the now silent gun, Dr. Bird stepped to the gunon the knoll. He trained it and pressed the trigger. A rattle of firecame from it and two of the rushing figures fell. The attack paused foran instant. McCready had