on a knock-down," said Carnes jubilantly. "What
will they do next, Doctor?"

"Probably nothing until daylight, now that they know we have machine
guns. I wish that we could make that thicket, but it's too far to try.
It'll be daylight in an hour or so."

The night was normally short in Archangel at that season of the year and
the unnatural lengthening of the day which Saranoff had accomplished
made it shorter still. In an hour red streamers in the east announced
the approach of daylight. Hardly had they appeared than a dull drone of
truck motors came from the direction of the factory.

"Round three is about to commence," announced Carnes. "I wish that I
could do something."

"You can as soon as our ammunition runs out, which won't be long,"
replied McCready. "It will be a matter of pistols at close quarters."

* * * * *

The trucks approached to within a half mile and stopped. The distance
was too great to warrant wasting any of their scanty store of ammunition
at such long range. In the dim light they would see the Russians working
at the trucks. Presently a flash came from the plain. A whining sound
filled the air. With a crash a three-inch shell broke behind them.

"No fun," remarked the doctor. "We'll have to get better cover than
this."

A second shell whined through the air and burst over their heads. A
third burst a few yards in front of them.

"They have us bracketed now," said McCready. "We'd better slide back a
piece before they start rapid fire."

Dragging their prisoner with them, the three men made their way to the
reverse side of the knoll. A short search revealed an overhanging ledge
under which they crouched in comparative safety from anything but a
direct hit above them.

"We're all right here except for the fact that they may rush us under
cover of the fire," said the doctor. "One man will have to keep watch
all the time and it will be a dangerous detail. I'll take the first
hitch."

"You will not!" exclaimed Carnes emphatically. "I have done nothing so
far and I am the least important member of the party. I'll do the
watching."

"Let's draw straws," suggested McCready. "I'm willing to do that, but if
it's a matter of volunteering, I refuse to yield to the civilian
branches of the government. The Navy has traditions to uphold, you
know."

"McCready's right," replied the doctor. "Get straws, Lieutenant, and
we'll draw."

McCready picked up three bits