The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-11-21

At the Edmonton hotel Marlin was surprised to have Smash Des- rlaines breeze in on him one after. noon three days later.
 Hello. Smash! Where'a CurtF" lover in northern B. c. At a little jerk-water called Tellacet. He sent you this letter."
 Marlin slit the envelope hastily. Good news this soon? Impossible!- even for Tennyson.
 The message was in tte funeral code of the Silent Squad. He sat down at the table and began deci phering it. The laconic sentences staggered him as he worked them out.
 Dear AK:
 Baldwin and I picked up Kara khans trail at Vancouver. flyer called Gunnar brought him north to this place. Karakhan then sent Gunnar out by train and went on north by himself in the plane. l suppose he was too cautious to let anybody know his exact destina- tion.
 1 nave reason to believe that he's
 hiding somewhere in the Lilluar Mountains. A hundred miles north of here is a post called Russian
 Lake, the jumping-off place for the Lilluars 1 intend to go there and
 try to trace him farther. Since a
 plane in that country would arouse
 suspicion. Smash will stand by here
 at 1'ellacet with the plane. 10 be on
 hand if needed: and the rest of the
 work will be done by canoe.
 By the way, don't mention Kara
 khan to Smash. He knows Pm
 hunting a man, but 1t isn't wise to
 trust him with any particulars.
 After he hands you this. he Is
 flying over to Athabasca 10 get
 Paul St Claire and fetch him here.
 l need help on this. and Paul Is the
 only person on earth whom l can
 trust absolutely. If this turns out
 to be a wilderness hunt. Paul will
 be worth ten ordinary men.
 So far at least 1t was a woman.
 Curt 4 THOUSAND yards off the north \ shore of Russian Lake, Curt and Paul stopped paddling |; few minutes and gazed ahead at the trading post, looking the place over before they landed.
 The post lay at the mouth of the lilluar River. big mountain stream which had it's origin BOG miles north. near the Yukon head waters. As far offshore as they were it's tumultuous current tugged strongly against the sides of their canoe. Small and unimr ortant. the trading station consisted of gaunl frame mission, whitewashed Mounted Police cabin and a red roofed HudsoD's Fay store-repre senting mans three ancie institu tions of religion. law. commerce.
 Five trapper and prospector tents were strung out down the land wash: several shacks stood back al tLe woods edge. and the leather tepees of a dozen Indian families reached up along the river bank be yond the mission.
 Curt turned his eyes from the trading post to the blue-hazy dis tance up the Lilluar valley. Lord what country. Paul." fe mused The wild spirit of t awed him Range after mighty range marched north out of sight. all of them top ped with glaciers and uge snow fields. their slopes cut by morainei and avalanche paths and mile-deeI canyons. 1t was a primordial conn try. as lonely and appalling as any thing he had seen in the snb-Arctic
 The sun had already slanted dowr behind the northwest ranges. In the evening hush the lake was as stil as a mirror. but far-away west mass of black thunderheads prom ised rainstorm before. mary hours
 A small group of people. gathered in front of the Bay store, were look ing at the canoe and poin-, -,Lg; ant several men had strolied out upor the little pier to meet it. The post was so wilderness-buried that two strangers in boat caused big stir
 Paul gave the canoe stroke tt keep it headed straight. "I wonder whether Ma.n'selle Luck or Dame Malheur is waiting for us wonder partner?" He spoke in French, as ht always did with Curt.
 That's what Pm wondering, Paul We're walking into big blank question here. We haven't a ghos O. an idea where Karakhan is hid ing. He may be close to this place or two weeks foot-slogging back 1T that God forsaken Strong. Woods See those people there? Well. any of them may be a spy of his. He'' almost got to have con.ac. man We'll have to watch every step w take
 l'.s:nl nodded. scrutirizing thu pest with L.s sharp eyes. A slender tolns nt;is of twenty-three. h' 1eipl.ed 10 the old and fine clan o .AtAa1ascan St. Claires, descendant o. tae prpnl Timber Cree" and tn, na f'renrh explorer-fighter, love IT fsg waM.erer. Born to tn, N.nots. he was as bush-wis, t's e.nh niaN'-n or timber wolf
 'r n aud Curt a deep silen ,.~ nd grown ID during oi fnoi loose wandering rs.i-tf- trsf ,u'Hi1m 8. Mowery