rifle.
‘Barero opened that this morning... he didn’t shut it too well, bless him...’ said Pete.
‘What do we do?’ Sara asked.
‘Well, I need to get over there and grab one, but he’ll have me quick... it’s thirty feet across... can you distract him?’
Appealing to his sexual instincts seemed an unlikely approach. Grip was difficult to fathom. Maybe, Pete thought, he would feel a little fatherly, if Sara was ill.
‘Sara... you suddenly feel awful sick, right? Let’s have some awful groans.’
Grip stood up when he heard the first sound of retching.
‘What the hell’s the matter with the gal?’
‘Sir... she’s awful sick... she was bit by an insect last night... I think it’s poison. See this swelling here?’
Grip came into sight, but he was wary.
‘Now, son, I want you over there, see? Just while I take a look. I want you back in that hole there.’ He took Pete by the collar and nudged him into the dark, but did not slide the wood across.
‘Now, miss, let’s take a look. Where’s the swelling?’
Sara carried on making an awful noise, and she took hold of Grip’s shirt collar. Pete was quick-thinking and took the hint. He crept behind Grip, stepping carefully across to the rifle case. What he didn’t know is whether they were loaded or not, but he had to take that chance. He yanked off the loose lid with a rock, and snatched a rifle, turning to point it at Grip as he swung around to face him.
‘Why son... now that’s a durn foolish thing to do... you’re gonna git Grip into some trouble doin’ this trick.’
‘That’s the idea, big feller. Now Sara, get over here.’
Pete had to think very quickly. He couldn’t take the chance of tying the man up. What could be done to him? It must have been the urgency of the situation that compelled Pete to shoot for Grip’s leg.
‘I’m awful sorry to do this but...’
The bullet smashed into Grips’ shin and he went down in agony.
‘You should have killed him! Let me finish him!’ Sara cried out.
‘Sara no... I know how you feel, but... we can’t belly down to the level of these murderin’ rats. Now, let’s get wrapped up for some stormy weather.’
Grip moaned and held his leg, cursing them. He screamed out and told them that they wouldn’t get far.
‘The weather is a Godsend. The McVies couldn’t hear the gunshot in the storm! Come on, wrap up.’
Pete and Sara were soon covered up inside some thick top-coats and Pete took two handguns, plenty of bullets for both rifle and pistols, and Sara filled a bag with food. They scrambled out on to the mountain path, feeling the security of knowing that no-one could be watching them in that storm.
It took two hours to tread steadily down to one end of the valley, stopping every few yards to get some respite from the wind, which hit them like strands of rope. But Pete was determined that they walk on, towards the river, and across to the long plain leading to at least some possibilities of help. He knew that when the weather eased off, the McVies would come hunting for them, and they would know which direction to go. They would also have to walk. There was only one way, and that was to walk in the night, when it was cooler, and darker. But was poor Sara up to it? She hadn’t been eating, and she was dog-tired.
Chapter 5
The storm had been troubling Dan and Pearce as well. They scampered down into some brush when the wind built to full strength. They had one blanket, and Pearce wrapped that around him. Dan lay flat to the earth, pulling strands of vegetation over him.
‘Well, nothing to do but lie here till it passes!’ Dan had to raise his voice.
Pearce had his back against a rock and had some kind of cover. ‘Say, Mullen, what exactly is going on out there? You got it figured yet?’
‘I guess my Pete is stashed somewhere out of the way. They’re just waiting for me to arrive, I guess. But I know one thing. I know there’s a man watching us... or he has
‘Barero opened that this morning... he didn’t shut it too well, bless him...’ said Pete.
‘What do we do?’ Sara asked.
‘Well, I need to get over there and grab one, but he’ll have me quick... it’s thirty feet across... can you distract him?’
Appealing to his sexual instincts seemed an unlikely approach. Grip was difficult to fathom. Maybe, Pete thought, he would feel a little fatherly, if Sara was ill.
‘Sara... you suddenly feel awful sick, right? Let’s have some awful groans.’
Grip stood up when he heard the first sound of retching.
‘What the hell’s the matter with the gal?’
‘Sir... she’s awful sick... she was bit by an insect last night... I think it’s poison. See this swelling here?’
Grip came into sight, but he was wary.
‘Now, son, I want you over there, see? Just while I take a look. I want you back in that hole there.’ He took Pete by the collar and nudged him into the dark, but did not slide the wood across.
‘Now, miss, let’s take a look. Where’s the swelling?’
Sara carried on making an awful noise, and she took hold of Grip’s shirt collar. Pete was quick-thinking and took the hint. He crept behind Grip, stepping carefully across to the rifle case. What he didn’t know is whether they were loaded or not, but he had to take that chance. He yanked off the loose lid with a rock, and snatched a rifle, turning to point it at Grip as he swung around to face him.
‘Why son... now that’s a durn foolish thing to do... you’re gonna git Grip into some trouble doin’ this trick.’
‘That’s the idea, big feller. Now Sara, get over here.’
Pete had to think very quickly. He couldn’t take the chance of tying the man up. What could be done to him? It must have been the urgency of the situation that compelled Pete to shoot for Grip’s leg.
‘I’m awful sorry to do this but...’
The bullet smashed into Grips’ shin and he went down in agony.
‘You should have killed him! Let me finish him!’ Sara cried out.
‘Sara no... I know how you feel, but... we can’t belly down to the level of these murderin’ rats. Now, let’s get wrapped up for some stormy weather.’
Grip moaned and held his leg, cursing them. He screamed out and told them that they wouldn’t get far.
‘The weather is a Godsend. The McVies couldn’t hear the gunshot in the storm! Come on, wrap up.’
Pete and Sara were soon covered up inside some thick top-coats and Pete took two handguns, plenty of bullets for both rifle and pistols, and Sara filled a bag with food. They scrambled out on to the mountain path, feeling the security of knowing that no-one could be watching them in that storm.
It took two hours to tread steadily down to one end of the valley, stopping every few yards to get some respite from the wind, which hit them like strands of rope. But Pete was determined that they walk on, towards the river, and across to the long plain leading to at least some possibilities of help. He knew that when the weather eased off, the McVies would come hunting for them, and they would know which direction to go. They would also have to walk. There was only one way, and that was to walk in the night, when it was cooler, and darker. But was poor Sara up to it? She hadn’t been eating, and she was dog-tired.
Chapter 5
The storm had been troubling Dan and Pearce as well. They scampered down into some brush when the wind built to full strength. They had one blanket, and Pearce wrapped that around him. Dan lay flat to the earth, pulling strands of vegetation over him.
‘Well, nothing to do but lie here till it passes!’ Dan had to raise his voice.
Pearce had his back against a rock and had some kind of cover. ‘Say, Mullen, what exactly is going on out there? You got it figured yet?’
‘I guess my Pete is stashed somewhere out of the way. They’re just waiting for me to arrive, I guess. But I know one thing. I know there’s a man watching us... or he has
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