The gray-white hairs first appeared over the ledge, then one clawed hand gripped the edge of the overhang. The horrible snout-faced countenance came next, the huge canine teeth jutting from its mouth. The clawed hands were both on the ledge now, pulling the huge body up. I shot one arm forward with Hugo held outstretched, plunging the stiletto deep into the creature's eye. The yeti screamed, its huge mouth opening wide. It was the moment I'd counted on. I fired the Luger three times, sending three slugs into the open mouth of the creature. The slugs Ghotak said could not penetrate the thick skin slammed into the soft inside of the mouth, tearing great holes and penetrating into the base of the skull.
The blood-curdling screams abruptly stopped and the creature clung there, its head turning sideways, and I saw a strange expression suddenly come into its remaining eye — a look of human sadness. It opened its mouth again, this time soundlessly, and I saw its clawed hands digging deeply into the snow of the ledge, still trying to pull itself up. The damn tiling was inhuman in every respect. I fired Wilhelmina again, sending another slug into its gaping mouth, and now blood spurted from the creature, from its mouth, its ears and even its eyes. I saw the clawed hands go limp, and it slid from the edge. I leaned over to watch the huge body hit the narrow ledge below, bounce off it and hurtle down onto a series of jagged rocks, finally to hang on one in the stillness of death. Slowly, it slipped from the rock and fell into the snow.
I climbed down to where it lay and stood over it in awe. If either of these clawed hands had ripped into me I'd be dead. I took hold of one foot and began to drag it after me. When the going got too hard, I pushed it down ahead of me until I found a place where I could pull it along. Finally, my arms aching, I reached the plain approaching the village, and I dragged the lifeless trophy behind me. Each step grew harder but now I met wide-eyed natives who ran off to tell others and in minutes I had a crowd marching alongside me, excitedly jabbering and pointing in awe to the yeti. I noticed that, though it was plainly dead, no one offered to help me pull the thing. I didn't blame them. Even dead it could scare the straw out of a scarecrow. I marched down the streets and headed for the temple and Ghotak.
Tremendously sporting of you," I said. "Why?"
"Because I want you found slain in the mountains. I want the Sherpas as they travel through the mountains to find you and the yett's tracks. It is especially important that you be so found."
"Thanks, sport," I said. He obviously hadn't a thought in the world that I could get away from the creature or slay it instead. I looked at the thing again and I had to agree with his reasoning. He started to raise the door.
"A last thing," he said. "I am very aware that you are armed. You no doubt carry the revolver and the small knife you gave to the girl before you fought the cobra. They will be useless to you. The yett's skin is as tough as an elephant's hide."
I saw his arm pull down and the door begin to rise. Talking time was over. It was definitely running time, and I started to run, putting every bit of speed I had into it. I started down the trail, slipping and sliding and falling. I could hear the creature emerge, his high-pitched scream now echoing in the wind. He was catching up to me with ridiculous ease. The trail had leveled off to where one side of it was a steep drop over the edge of a cliff. Looking back, I saw that the creature walked upright in a kind of shuffling, bear-like gait. I saw a tall rock, dropped out of sight behind it, and waited.
The creature came shuffling forward, past the rock. I dived, hitting the creature from the side with a perfect tackle. I drove with every ounce of power in my body, slamming into him with the force of at least three good tackles. It did knock his leg out from under him and he went down with a roar, but I missed sending him off the edge of the cliff. He was flat on his back for a moment and I aimed a kick at the one spot where it might most quickly bring him up short. But the creature turned a powerful leg and took my kick on its thigh. It rose to a crouch and saliva dripped from its bared fangs, but it was in a perfect position for a right cross. I couldn't resist the chance and I swung with all my shoulder muscles behind the blow. I felt the blow land and send sharp pains up my arm. The creature merely sprang up and tried to strike me with a tremendous swing of one arm. I ducked and felt the wind of it as the blow just missed my head. He tried another but I was fast enough to backtrack. I saw a rocky series of steps against the cliff and bounded up them, cutting my knees and legs as I slipped and stumbled. The last rock was near enough to the edge of an overhanging ledge so that I could just reach it and pull myself up. I brought my body up over it and lay there for a second, gathering my strength and thoughts. I peered over the side and saw him coming after me. Below was the narrow ledge and below that a series of jagged rocks.
I had climbed up to the overhang with a desperation I could never muster under ordinary circumstances, but the creature was bounding up after me with the effortless, powerful agility of a bear. I knew that to run further would only delay the inevitable. He'd catch up to me, somewhere, and I'd be caught by one of those sweeping arms, ripped apart in minutes by the huge clawed hands. I couldn't outrun him here in these icy, rocky mountains, and no human could outfight him. I yanked Wilhelmina out of the holster and shifted the gun to my left hand. Then I let Hugo drop into my palm. I had but one chance and this was the place for it. It would be dirty and nasty, but it was the only thing that stood between life and the death of AXE Agent N3. I lay down on the ledge, facing the edge of the overhang. I waited, every muscle tight and tensed. Ghotak would be on his way back by now, supremely confident that all was over. He could damn well be right, I knew.
The gray-white hairs first appeared over the ledge, then one clawed hand gripped the edge of the overhang. The horrible snout-faced countenance came next, the huge canine teeth jutting from its mouth. The clawed hands were both on the ledge now, pulling the huge body up. I shot one arm forward with Hugo held outstretched, plunging the stiletto deep into the creature's eye. The yeti screamed, its huge mouth opening wide. It was the moment I'd counted on. I fired the Luger three times, sending three slugs into the open mouth of the creature. The slugs Ghotak said could not penetrate the thick skin slammed into the soft inside of the mouth, tearing great holes and penetrating into the base of the skull.
The blood-curdling screams abruptly stopped and the creature clung there, its head turning sideways, and I saw a strange expression suddenly come into its remaining eye — a look of human sadness. It opened its mouth again, this time soundlessly, and I saw its clawed hands digging deeply into the snow of the ledge, still trying to pull itself up. The damn tiling was inhuman in every respect. I fired Wilhelmina again, sending another slug into its gaping mouth, and now blood spurted from the creature, from its mouth, its ears and even its eyes. I saw the clawed hands go limp, and it slid from the edge. I leaned over to watch the huge body hit the narrow ledge below, bounce off it and hurtle down onto a series of jagged rocks, finally to hang on one in the stillness of death. Slowly, it slipped from the rock and fell into the snow.
I climbed down to where it lay and stood over it in awe. If either of these clawed hands had ripped into me I'd be dead. I took hold of one foot and began to drag it after me. When the going got too hard, I pushed it down ahead of me until I found a place where I could pull it along. Finally, my arms aching, I reached the plain approaching the village, and I dragged the lifeless trophy behind me. Each step grew harder but now I met wide-eyed natives who ran off to tell others and in minutes I had a crowd marching alongside me, excitedly jabbering and pointing in awe to the yeti. I noticed that, though it was plainly dead, no one offered to help me pull the thing. I didn't blame them. Even dead it could scare the straw out of a scarecrow. I marched down the streets and headed for the temple and Ghotak.