The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-11-23
Chapter Ten
QUICK ACTION

QUICK ACTION
IRON time to time Sonya glanced
! west at the looming storm.
3treaked by snaky lightning. the
black thunderheads had cut off the
lingering afterglow of the sun. Be.
tween herself and the wooded part
IT the island stood a clump OF life.
'ess pines. lifting their gaunt arms
TO the sky.
IL seemed to Sonya that all the
innunerable swallows which she
lad seen fitting and velleying over
the lake that evening had gathered
on those dead pines to sleep. for the
branches looked fuzzy with them,
and their faint twittefing sounded
ike the purling of stream.
She tipped out the butterfly for a
last time. Something struck it,
struck hard. The reel spun. her
fight rod tugged and whipped. Be.
mind her at the woods edge a
stealthy figure skunk out to the
ciump Of pines. but Sonya's atten-
ton was all given to the fight on
her hands. and she did not notice.
Not until she had reeled in the
struggling seven-pounder did she
become alive to her danger. She
had seen nothing. heard nothing
hut she sensed that she was no long
or alone. and she whiFled around.
Against the lighter background of
the water she saw mans head and
shoulders between two OF the dead
pines.
In a fash she understood his in-
tenlion: understood why he had fol.
lowed her from the post and sneaked
ashore so steaIthiIy and u. her of
from her canoe. Panic seized her.
and the fishing rod dropped from
her hands.
For moment she was over
whelmed by her desperate plight
he post sofar away. those thunder
heads drawing the curtain Of nigh
across the sky. and herself alone oil
the island with that man yonder.
With q great seffort she tough
down her panic and made herself
think. Il wouldn't do any good to
fiiead withhirn: he was cneof thos,
drunken shameless camp hangers
On. She had no weapon to fight hin
with. and In physical struggle h,
.uuld crush her one-handed. Hel
only chance was to outwit him some
how and get 90 her boat.
CHE let her creel and net lie. bu'
- picked up her rod ..gain an
stepped back Off the narrow tong,'
uf rock where he had almost co
nered her.
The man moved away from Z
pines and came nearer. He "
lnrehing unsteadily. Sonya notice
She believed she stood . GO
chance TO elude him. rush to h
esnoe and get II aiioat before
could catch her. In order to hav'
atrip OF open sand for her dash
moved towaW the Iandwash.
You t'ink you run way. hein
ne man tannted IN . drunken oh,
lie. Huh. dat canoe 81 yoar.
N cut op 10 De deBbiI: sash her
l1u no Get way Me. | wlse--n
iou and ne, we stay here on
'eetle lslasf'
sonya's heart stopped beating.
Her canoe, down the iandwash--
he'd found Il. wrecked itl she was
caught. As helpless as q creature in
q trap.
On beyond the pines two shadowy
figures unexpectedly appeared out
OF the darkness OF the spruces. Son.
So thought they were ronfederates
OF the breed. without q seconds
hesitation she whirled toward the
water edge. she could hardly swim
a stroke. but rather than remain
there with those three she meant to
strike out for the nearest island.
two hundred yards away.
A sharp voice called to the breed.
II say. fellow. what the de.il d'you
think you're doing heref"
The voice stopped Sonya In her
tracks. "oh-ooi" II was q word.
less cry ofthanktulness. She peered
at the two figures as they came on.
strangers they were. And that
sharp commanding voiet was
strange too. They must be the two
prospectors who had come to Rus.
Sian lake that evening.
The breed ierked around and
stared hlankiy at the pair, With his
brain all muddled by liquor. he did
not understand at first this sudden
turn to things. But Il did dawn on
him finally. Caught dead TO rights,