The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-12-06
FORBIDDEN VALLEY
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/ Sonya shook her head as though
saying. "Well. aren't the rest Of
your" An instant later a vicious ar
row whizzed over her. SO 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 rife.
Drop thatl" Curt snapped at him.
''You can't touch 'em. They're In
cover. we're on open water. That
paddle will get you out OF danger
quicker than q gunl"
Bent low. they clipped on up
stream, trusting te sheer luck.
Slowly the arrows tailed or. began
falling behind. and finally stopped
altogether as the range became too
great.
Curt LET the other two canoes catch
up and looked them over. Nineteen
arrows in the three craftl-it was
q miracle that none OF his party had
been killed or wounded. Ralph
licked the sweat from his face and
stared across at the forbidding
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 the
lot
He picked the arrow out OF the
sleeping poke ans examined II curl.
ously. a superb piece Of workman
ship. it, obsidian head was pointed
to needle sharpness and its shaft
was neatly feathered with split
haWk-gnills. u.s..
Paul touched his arm and pointed
to the rocky rayine across the river.
VTsHEY'RE leaving the ravine.
Watch. There by the four birches
goes one nowl"
Curt glimpsed a shadowy figure
slipping into q buck.brush thicket.
Another and another followed. Eight
OF them. TO BE only eight. they Ger.
tainly had let loose flock of arrows!
He knew why they were hurrying
up stream. Their first ambush had
failed but they still had time to lay
another one before his party could
get through the pass. No use to race
them they we're looping along a game
trail while bis canoes were lighting
ten.mile current. There was moth.
Ing to do but 30 ahead. keep sharp
lookout, and try &c get by them
again.
He gave the word. and his party
went on.
Near the upper end Of the narrows
long granite rock jutted out into
the river. extending fully q third OF
the way across: and at its tip q big
pile Of breakup debris had lodged,
quite sufEicient 20 hide eight men.
Curt looked ct Il sharply a. the
canoes approached. II the Kloschees
we're hiding there. It was suicide to
try to get past.
On above It lay big rlyer-widen-
Ing. the end Of the pass. It tempted
him. that broad sun.glistening water.
In ten minutes bis party could be
skimming out uron 1t.
He reached his binoculars. drew
the granite rock up close. studied
the pile of debris. but saw nothing
suspicious. He had almost made up
his mind to take the risk. when q
magpie with q stolen egg In It's bill
came Tapping down stream. Direct
" above the rock It suddenly
breasted Up high. nearly tumbled
over ITSELF In the air. dropped the
egg. aud veered abruptly out across
the river.
Curt and Paul looked knowingly
At each other. That magpia was q
dead giyeawly. There were men
lying behind that drift.
The three canoes pulled In to
shore and landed.
Sonya spoke up. "a know how you
can do 1T We're not stopped! We
can't pass themon theriver. but why
cant We portage around thems Just
IS We would at a rapids or falls."
The move was 30 simple and self,
evident that Curt felt ashamed for
not thinking Of Il himself. IL his
party kept three hundred feet back
from the water edge. they would be
entirely safe TLey could portage
their stun at one hitch and be up at
that widening In ten minutes.
Paul and FRANCOIS shouldered one
canoe. load and all. and headed tor
the bank above Jocku and Ralph
staggered after them with tie sec.
ond Curt handed the paddles and
hts rife TO Sonya. swung M the
third canoe and followed.
Al the bank be put down his load.
told the others &c wait there. and
started back alone the beach.
Directly opposite the ambush no
walked out on the sand to the river
edge palms out & the sign for peace.
Il was risky act: at so shor. .
range he was completely al their
mercy.