“Like I said, we were just sitting around. I had the rifle alongside me on the ground while I was talking to Dr. Dumar. He was telling me about France. I learned that Pierre means Pete in French. I got a big kick out of that and I started to laugh. All of a sudden Masterson had the rifle in his hands.”
“Ouch!” Arthur said.
“He pointed the gun at me and told me to turn around and put up my hands. When I did that, he ordered Denise and Dr. Dumar to come over to him. Dr. Dumar objected, but Masterson shoved the gun at him and he finally obeyed. I was about to turn around when something hit me on the back of the head.” Pete put an exploratory hand to his red hair. “I guess he used the stock of the rifle. Next thing I knew, Chuck was looking down at me, and I was coming up out of a long black tunnel.”
“How long ago was this?”
Pete glanced at his watch. “Like I said, it can’t be more than twenty minutes.”
Chuck got to his feet. “Let’s go,” he said. “They can’t have gone very far in twenty minutes, not with this fog.”
Gardel smiled thinly. “I’m staying here,” he said.
Chuck turned and there was a cold fury on his face. “Look, Gardel, I’ve had about enough of you and your rotten boss. If you don’t start moving in about three seconds, we’ll stake you out and leave you for
“You’re bluffing,” Gardel said. “You’re plain bluffing. I ain’t moving from this spot, and you can’t force me to.”
“No,” Chuck said simply. “As a matter of fact, we’ll help you stay here. Take him, Arthur.”
Arthur moved amazingly fast for a big man. He pinned Gardel’s arms behind him, and Chuck said, “Get some stakes, Pete. We’ll strip Gardel and use his clothes to tie him to the stakes.
“You’re bluffing,” Gardel said again, but his voice lacked conviction this time.
“Sure, I’m bluffing.”
“We ain’t even seen no
“He’s real,” Dr. Perry said grimly. “I’ve seen him many times in the past six months.” He shook his head. “He is not a very pleasant beast, Gardel. I don’t think you’ll get along.”
“Maybe they will, Doc,” Chuck said. “Gardel isn’t a very pleasant beast, either.”
Gardel seemed to grow a shade paler. “You… you wouldn’t really leave me’s-s-staked out.”
“Of course not,” Chuck said. “Ah, here’s Pete with some nice chunks of wood now.”
Pete dropped a half-dozen sturdy branches at Chuck’s feet. “These okay?” he asked.
“Fine. Strip him, Arthur. We’ve wasted enough time already.”
“No,” Gardel shouted. “I’ll come along. I’ll… I’ll come along.”
Chuck shoved him ahead of the group. “Remember this, Gardel, and remember it well. I wasn’t kidding. I’d be a fool to waste time arguing with you. I was going to leave you staked here as sure as you’re living. Just remember that.”
Gardel didn’t answer.
Chuck felt Arthur’s hand on his shoulder.
“Easy,” Arthur said. “Don’t lose your grip.”
“I’m all right,” Chuck said. “Let’s get moving.”
They found tracks. Three sets of footprints. The smallest set belonged to Denise, the next largest to Dr. Dumar. The heavy footprints that dug down deep into the earth were Masterson’s.
They followed the tracks diligently like big-game hunters close to their quarry. At one point they found a spot where the group must have paused to rest. Chuck examined the spot closely. Masterson’s cigar had sprinkled ash all over the ground, and his footprints were deeper, as if he’d stood in one spot for a long time.
“Let’s go,” Chuck said.
The tracks were clear, disappearing only when the fugitives crossed a large expanse of rock, but picking up again whenever they hit soft earth. The fog was beginning to lift a little, and the going was easier and faster. Chuck was thankful for that. Masterson had had to contend with the fog and with two prisoners who had gone along with him unwillingly. Now that the fog was lifting, Chuck had every hope of catching up. And then . . ?
He didn’t know. He didn’t know what would happen because he couldn’t figure what possible motive had provoked Masterson. He could only conclude that the man was completely insane. Why else would he pull a fool stunt like this? What could he possibly hope to gain?
And why had he taken only Denise and Dr. Dumar with him? Why leave Pete behind? Chuck felt certain there was meaning to that. It would have been more difficult to have taken Pete along, of course. He would have presented a constant menace to Masterson. Whatever his reasons for escape had been, he would not want them menaced. On the other hand, had he taken Pete with him, the returning hill hunters might have concluded that they were simply lost, had somehow missed Masterson, Pete, Denise and Dr. Dumar in the deep fog.
That would have seemed to be the best plan. And yet Masterson had left Pete behind.