"Kenneth Robeson - Doc Savage 037 - The Metal Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Robeson Kenneth)

Modern pistol cartridges are, of course, not affected by temporary submersion, so Punning had been able to
take his gun under the keel of the schooner.

TopsтАЩl Hertz was not a mental sloth, although he had been caught flatfooted in the present instance. The
moment the shot sounded and the Very pistol flew into the sea, he gave a froglike leap, sailing clear over the
rail and landing on a wing of the plane.
His yelled orders caused his scared crew to produce guns and join the fight TopsтАЩl was having with the
red-headed Tester. TopsтАЩl only lost two teeth, some skin and hair, before they rescued him.

The moment they were on deck, TopsтАЩl seized a gun and aimed at the red-headed man. He was in a temper
and had killing ideas.

But Punning Parker rushed up and shoved the gun aside.

"тАШAct in haste and repent at leisure,тАЩ they say," he warned.

Ordinarily, TopsтАЩl took orders from no one, and was inclined to resent them. But Punning Parker had just
raked his chestnuts out of the fire by that dive under the keel.

TopsтАЩl thought it over, and handed the gun back to the man from whom he had taken it. He took a good
wind-up and knocked the redhead down, also removing most of the skin from his own knuckles.

"Thanks," he told Punning. "I тАШave a bad temper."

"Look here," said Punning. "Do you know why this mysterious fellow in New York wants this Louis Tester
held?"

"No, I donтАЩt," said TopsтАЩl.

"Hm-m-m," murmured Punning. "What say we search that plane?"

"Can do," admitted TopsтАЩl.

So they searched the plane. They had not known what they expected to find. But what they did find was
plenty. They were in the plane cabin quite a while.

When they came out, both were slightly pale. Their breathing was uneven. Their eyes were queer. Too bright.

They looked like men who had just gazed into the cave of Aladdin.

Under an arm, TopsтАЩl Hertz carried a small briefcase.

"So now we know all about the Metal Master," muttered Punning Parker.

"Not all," corrected TopsтАЩl. "We know what тАШe can do. But we donтАЩt know who тАШe is."

"The Metal Master is sort of master-aiding," said Punning Parker.

TopsтАЩl muttered thoughtfully. "We тАШave our тАШands on somethinтАЩ big."