Baird was the first to overtake Hater. He grabbed at Hater’s naked shoulder. Hater squirmed away from him, twisted to his right and ran slap into Noddy, who closed with him.
‘What are you playing at?’ Noddy panted as Hater began to struggle like a madman. If Baird hadn’t grabbed his arm he would have broken loose again.
‘Get his other arm,’ Baird snarled to Noddy. ‘Come on; if they come this way…’
Feeling himself powerless to break free, Hater suddenly began to scream. The sound that came from his mouth was shrill, loud and horrifying. It was the sound of an animal caught in a trap. It made Baird’s nerves creep. It did more than that to Noddy. It scared him so badly he let go of Hater and hurriedly stepped back.
Hater slashed at Baird’s face with hooked finger-nails. Baird managed to jerk his head aside and save his eyes, but the short, sharp nails ploughed down his cheek, leaving deep, bloody ruts in his flesh.
Baird let go of Hater, but as Hater turned to run, Baird jerked out his gun and hit Hater on the top of his balding head with the gun butt. He was careful not to hit hard. The force of the blow drove Hater to his knees. He began to scream again as he struggled desperately to get to his feet.
‘Hit him! Hit him!’ Noddy cried, unnerved. ‘Stop his noise!’
Baird hesitated. He felt a murderous urge to shoot Hater, and he had to struggle against emptying his gun into the brown, emaciated body. As he hesitated, Hater got to his feet and began to run unsteadily across the clearing towards the saw-grass.
Baird went after him, caught up with him in three long strides and spun him around.
Hater looked at him. His face was working with fear: the facial muscles, the thin skin over the bone structure moved like water disturbed by a sudden wind. The vacant, dark eyes glared horribly. The thin, cracked lips drew off his teeth in a snarl of defiance.
Baird brushed aside Hater’s up-raised arms as he stepped in close. The gun butt smashed down on Hater’s bleeding scalp. Hater’s eyes went blind. He gave a dry little groan and crumpled at Baird’s feet.
Baird stepped back. Blood and sweat ran down his face. His eyes were a little wild, and he felt a sick uneasiness he had never known before.
‘Get him up,’ he said, without looking at Noddy. ‘You carry him. Get him to the hut as fast as you can. I’l be right behind.’
‘He’s crazy!’ Noddy said, bending over the stil body. ‘I told you we’d have trouble with him.’
‘Get on with it!’ Baird snarled, as he wiped his face with his handkerchief. The deep scratches were bleeding badly. He could feel blood running down inside his shirt and across his chest.
Noddy got Hater across his shoulders and began a slow jog-trot towards the hut.
Baird went back for the Winchester. He had trouble finding it as the smoke screen had drifted over the saw-grass, but finally he located it. He couldn’t see the river now. The dense smoke had blot ed out the dredges and the water. The firing had died down. Away to his right he could hear men shouting, but couldn’t make out what they were saying.
He ran after Noddy, and caught up with him a quarter of a mile or so from the hut.
Noddy was leaning against a tree, trying to get his breath back. Hater lay at his feet.
‘Come on!’ Come on!’ Baird said. ‘Do you want them to catch up with you?’
‘I’m beat,’ Noddy panted. ‘I can’t carry him any farther.’
Baird thrust the Winchester into Noddy’s hand, bent and pul ed Hater up and across his broad shoulders.
‘Come on!’ he said. ‘You go ahead.’
Noddy went forward, still gasping for breath.
By the time Baird reached the hut, he was breathing heavily. Hater was heavier than he looked, and the heat in the swamp seemed to drain all Baird’s strength.
Rico came to the door. He was trembling and his white face looked ghastly.
‘Are they coming this way?’ he asked fearful y.
Baird shoved him aside and entered the hut. He let Hater slide off his shoulder on to the floor.
Both Rico and Noddy followed him in. Noddy stood by the window, looking down the path and the way they had come.
‘Give Noddy the money,’ Baird said to Rico. ‘Twenty-five Cs. Snap it up! We’ve got to get to the boat.’
Rico stared at him.
‘Aren’t you going to wait here, like we planned?’ he asked.
‘If you’d done your job like I told you,’ Baird said furiously, ‘we could have waited. But now those guys know we’ve come this way. We’ve got to get out quick.’
‘I couldn’t help it…’ Rico said, wringing his hands.
‘Shut up!’ Baird exclaimed. ‘Get the money!’
Rico staggered over to his suitcase. As he fumbled with the locks, Noddy said sharply, ‘Hold it!
Leave it alone! I’ll take it as it is.’ He had a gun in his hand, and it pointed at Baird. ‘I’m going to have more than five grand for this job. Make a move, and I’ll give it to you in the guts!’
III
Rico remained like a statue, looking helplessly at Baird. There were seven thousand dollars in cash in the suitcase: every nickel he owned. His hand gripped the handle of the case convulsively. He had warned Baird, and now this pigeon-chested double-crosser would take the money and shoot them.
Baird stood very still, his eyes on Noddy’s gun. His face was expressionless, but the muscle below his right eye was twitching.
‘Turn around,’ Noddy said, ‘then shed your rod. Drop it on the floor. Don’t try anything funny. I’m a dead shot at this range. Go on! Turn around!’
Baird turned. Slowly his right hand went inside his coat and pulled out the Colt. Rico saw him softly thumb back the safety-catch.
Noddy said, ‘This is where you get yours, pal. I’l get a pat on the back for rubbing you two out and capturing Hater. Drop that rod!’
It happened so quickly Rico had no idea how Baird did it.
Baird jumped to the right and turned at the same time. Noddy fired and missed. Baird’s gun exploded three times; the gun flashes lit up the dark hut. Noddy dropped his gun, clutched his stomach with both hands and bent forward as if he had a hinge to his spine. He stood like that for a second or so, then his knees buckled and he fell forward on his face.
Baird stood over him.
Shuddering with relief, Rico came over and peered down at Noddy. All he could think of was that the money was safe.
‘The mug,’ Baird said softly, and stirred Noddy with his foot. ‘To have tried to pul that ancient gag on me.’
Noddy groaned. He looked up at Baird, his breath whistling in his throat.
Baird knelt by his side and ran his hands over his clothes. He found the roll of bills he had given Noddy the previous night.
‘He won’t need his turkey farm now,’ Baird said, and put the money in his hip pocket. ‘Come on! It’s time we moved. Give me a hand with Hater. Where’s that bandage?’
Rico found the wide roll of adhesive bandage, and together they strapped Hater’s hands and ankles together. Baird strapped up Hater’s mouth.
‘I’ll carry him. You bring the case and the Winchester,’ Baird went on. ‘They’re certain to have heard the shots.’
While Rico went over to pick up the case, Baird again bent over Noddy. He had stopped breathing.
Baird touched the artery in his throat. Then he straightened with a little grunt.
‘He won’t double-cross anyone again,’ he muttered.