The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-12-28
Chapter 80
NEWS or SoMYA


NEWS or soNYA
THIN main band. Tenn-Og said,
: had discovered the escape Of the
whites and had started north to
Karakhan's place to guard him.
These six runners had been sent
south on the chance that they might
catch up with the whites and am.
bush them.
Sonya was on her way north:
nothing had been heard OF her since
she left with her three guides.
DO you know where this white
man is hiding?. Curt asked Tenn.
og.
AT the headwaters lake Of the
LiIluar. the Indian told him. He him.
self had once lived at that lake. al
most at the very place where the
white mans cabin now stood.
A week ago Curt would have con.
sidered that information priceless.
bnt now II meant little. In a general
way he did plan to return later and
make q second attempt TO gel KaTak.
han: but In all probability the Rus.
sian would be out of the LIlluars
and gone by that time.
Il He was nobody's fool: he GER
tai1ly had read the handwriting on
The wall He had a plane and plenty
Of gas for II. as LeNoir's trading &C.
count showed. The wearisome Job OF
following his trackless air path
would have to be done all over
agaln.
How can you go back to your
people. Tenn-Og?" he asked. Those
SIX are going to tell the others that
you were with US. helping US"
With q grunt and shrug Tenn-Og
stated that be did not care whether
he went back or not. He was almost
90 cutcast now, he said. because OF
Slam .Klale.
Ever since his talk with Tenn-Og
that first night. when the Indian
gave hIm so much Information vol
UNFAIRLY. Curt had felt that he stood
or somehow from the other Klo-
sohees. His tones now and his ref.
ofence to the subject Implied there
was some bitter personal feud be-.
tween Slam.Klale and him.
The stories about the brutality 10
siam KIale's nature. made Curt
sharply uneasy about Sonya. She
was mp In that country alone. in the
charge OF Indians who we're com.
plstely under the thumb Of the sub.
chief,
Il he and the main band overlook
her party, he might seize her. brush
LeNoir aside. and disappear with her
somewhere Ia that unknown coun.
try. Once she reached Karakhan she
probably would be safe: but any one
Of dozen accidents might inter.
rene to strand her IN those wild
mountains aud keep her from reach.
ins him.
~ the afternoon wore along. q
perceptibIe change came over Ralph.
AT nrst Curt could not decide what
the change BODIED: but as the signs
became more pronounced. he recog.
mixed their grim meaning. He could
never get Ralph out. or even get to
the plane with him.
TUsT at twilight they reached the
= lskltImwah mouth. having cor,
cred ID twenty-fonr hours a stretch
OF river which had taken his party
four whole days on the up trip. lie
called q halt, All need Of hurryIng
had passed. and the buffeting OF the
waves was causing Ralph intense
pain. The most they could do was
% ease him Tor the little time that
remained.
Near the tributary mouth they
went ashore on q pine island. the
island Of black lilies. where Curt
hal spent some dark hours once.
He did not recognize the place TN
they had landed. and then he would
not change. Inland at a messy spot
they spread the sleeping robes and
carried Ralph there and laid him
down.
All three Of them were stumbling
from exhaustion. On top OF the
heavy strain OF the fight and the
long day of Imprisonment. they had
had no sleep IN more than sixty
hours. and had iust finished terrific
stretch Of canoe work - twice
around the clock without pause.
Curt made Paul and Tenn.og eat
Z little food. and then took them .
coupls Of rods aside. "You two lie
down. ne babe. sand get some rest.
IN our condition we're &C FOR moth
|ng. and We don't know what's ahead
of as. I'll stay up with Ralph. / can
90 everything that needs to be done.
Cod knows It's not much"
In the eastern SKY the noon