"029 (B012) - The Quest of Qui (1935-07) - Lester Dent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

A dog went "wur-r-r-o-o!" over Johnny's head. Another canine barked more sharply. They had sniffed him out. Johnny wished fervently that he had taken a bath more recently than the previous Saturday. It might have helped.



A copper-nickel slug came clubbing down through the snow, jarred the frozen ground close to Johnny's fingers, and the report of the gun which had fired it sounded far less muffled than Johnny had expected. The drift must not be as deep as he had thought.



Men were crunching up. Johnny had made himself a little cave. The weight of those above collapsed that. Snow got into his eyes, mouth. Only the most heroic effort kept him from sneezing.



"Where's that machine gun?" bawled a voice which reminded Johnny of the sound one got by pulling a resined string through a tight drumhead.



"Comin', Kettler," called some one more distant.



Kettler rasped, "Hurry it up He's somewhere under here where the dogs are sniffin' and barkin'."



There was a pause. Feet crunched in the snow.



"Here's the gun," said a voice.



"Don't set it up on the tripod," directed Kettler. "Three of you hold the damned thing so the recoil won't knock you down. We'll get this guy under the snow, whoever he is."



Johnny reached a hurried decision.



"Hold it!" he shouted. "I am coming out."





HE HALF expected them to pay no attention, but thanked his stars when they did, and scrambled, not without difficulty, to the surface. Men grabbed him, yanked him, with the result that they all went through tile crust and there was much cursing and floundering around.