The Bismarck tribune., 1933-12-21
Ii FORBIDDEN VALLEY
5q tilia.~ BYnox l'lowsu4

I sonya shook her head a. though
saying. well. aren't the rest Of
you? An instant later . vicious n.
row whizzed over her, 10 low that
she lodged and gasped. Another
splintered the thwart she was sitting,
against A third hit the sleeping
poke which Curt had placed at her
side. II the poke had not been there,
that third arrow would have shot'
her through the breast.
FRANCOIS shipped paddle and
grabbed for his rifle.
drop that" Curt snapped at him.
you can't touch 'em. They're In
cover. we're on open water. That
paddle win get you out Of danger
quicker than . gun!"
Bent low. they clipped on upl
stream. trusting to sheer luck.
Slowly tho arrows tailed OF, began!
falling behind, and finally stopped
altogether AZ tho range became too
great.
Curt let the other two canoes catch
mp and looked them over. Nineteen
arrows in the three craft!-it was
. miracle that none Of his party had
been killed or wounded. Ralph
dicked tho sweat from his face and
stared across at the forbiddingI
woods, with fright in his eyes.
FRANCOIS and Jocku were ready to|
turn in their tracks and whip back
south. Sonya was the coolest Of theI
lot
He picked the arrow out Of the
sleeping poke am examined 1t curl.
ously. A superb piece Of workman.
ship. its obsidian head was pointed
70 needle sharpness and its shaft
WAS neatly feathered with split
hawk-Quills.
Paul touched his arm and pointed
70 tho rocky ravine across the river.
"TsHEY'RD leaving the ravine.I
! Watch. There by the four birchesl
goes one now!"
Curt glimpsed Z shadowy dgurel
slipping into q buck-brush thicket.
Another and another followed. Eight
Of them. To be only eight, they csr.I
tainly had let loose a flock Of arrows!
He knew why they were hurryingI
up stream. Their first ambush hadl
failed but they still had time to layI
another one before his party could
get through the pass. No use to race
them: they were Looping along q game
trail while his canoes were fighting
= ten.mile current There was moth
ing to do but 60 ahead, keep q sharp
lookout and try to get BY them
again.
He gave the word. and his party
went on.
Near the upper end Of the narrows
. long granite rock jutted ont into
the river. extending fully third Of
the way across: and at its tip . biz
pile Of breakup debris had lodged,
quite suhicient to hide eight men.
Curt looked at It sharply ~ the
canoes approached. II the Klosohees
were hiding there. It was suicide To-
try to get past |
On above It lay . big river.widen-'
ing, the end Of the pass. It tempted
him. that broad sun.glistening water.
In ten minutes his party could b.
skimming out upon It.
He reached his binoculars, drew
the granite rock up close. studied
the pile Of debris. but saw nothingj
suspicious He had almost made up|
his mind to take the risk, when a|
magpis with stolen egg IN it, bill
came tapping down stream. Direct
u above the rock It suddenly
breasted up high. nearly tumbled
over itself in the air. dropped the
egg, and veered abruptly ont across
the river.
Curt and Paul looked knowingly
at each other. That magpie was d
dead giveaway. There were men
lying behind that drift
The three canoes pulled IN 70
shore and landed.
Sonya spoke up. II know how you
can do It! We're not stopped! We
cant pass them on the river. but why,
can't We portage around them! Just
g We would ct rapids or falls!"
The move was 80 simple and SELF
evident that Curt felt ashamed for
not thinking Of II himself. If his,
party kept three hundred feet back
from the water edge. they would b.
entirely safe They could portage
their stun at one hitch and be up at
that widening in ton minutes.
Paul and FRANCOIS shouldered one
canoe. load and ALL and headed for
the bank above. Jocku and Ralph
staggered after them with the sec.,
ond. Curt handed the paddles and
his ride to sonya. swung mp tho
third canoe ana foaowe~
At the hank be put down his load,
told the others TO wait there, and
started back along the beach.
Directly opposite tho ambush hs
walked out on tho sand to the river
edge. palms out II the sign for peaco.
Il was . risky act: at 20 short Q
range hs was completely at their
mercy.
| (CopyrioAs. 1858. WHliom ,. HoDsryl
! Tomorrow. ovs1 lqsea Death