The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-12-02
Chapter Is
WHO le RALsToN7

~
1T was twilight IN the mountains
Where the sun nad dipped %
hind the northwest ranges Il had
left In the sky a plaque Of reddish
golden. hordered with purple. Only
9 po0rwill. whlsilIns It's repetitiouf
mating call near the Rlcsohse lean
to's. and a family or young musk
rats spIashing about the crude han
gar which housed Kafakhan,s plane
broke the deep mystic hush.
His refuge. at the heacwaters Of
the Liiluar. had been ali that Kara
khan had hoped for, and more. The
big cabin. his home for nine months
was comfortable with handmade fur
uitnre, hear rugs on the door. spa
cious fireplace and even a small "a
do.
At bis door lay q jade-green lake.
ice-fed. teeming with steelhsad and
srayling. just west OF the lake two
great mountains. Sunali and Dinag-
swah. had given him unimasinahle
shooting ~mO0se aads caribou. big.
horn and goat and the suriy trun.
ding grizzly.
The vigorous life outdoors had
braced him. hardened him. The old
Wearinsss had vanished. IN its
stead Q new energy noy ed IN his
veins.
Yet be had grown tired OF Il all.
Tired OF the mopkish austerity.
Tired OF his isolation from the world
Of men-and women. Tired Of the
rotgut whisky which LeNoir.
brought Tired OF slaughtering big
horns and hearing the lonesome
scream OF the eagle. Tired OF the
snperstitious indians who harbored
him and who had fallen under bis
away. The city was drug In bis,
veins. and he could not live Tor long
without It.
A few months more Of his. tn be,
was. sure thar the hunt had been
completely abandoned. and then his
tight out. port IN the Orient, tree
dom-and the wide world before
himi His fortune now. lowering
near three millions. gave him power
70 hunt bigger game. Il be only
could deliver some smaahlng blow
against the Soviets. who had exiled
him, contiscated his estates, killed
bis relatives and bounded him for
YeaFs--that would be scope Tor bio
talents and game worth stalklnsl
hut LeNoir's report was !. ripple
OF wind across the placid water
Was the breed lylng7
He lit goose.tallow candle and
Get Il where Il shone o. LeNcirs
face. but left his own Ia shadow. II
vas possible that Just before the
flight our. when there va. no pros,
peci Of more money. the breed
would bstray him TO the Aounted IN
order 70 collect reward, Even dis
counting that risk. Il was never wise
70 leave anyone behind who knew
too much.
With no scFuple or 1npunctiop
or gratitude Tor LeNoir's faithful
service. be intended 10 play safe-
hs doing away with the man. He
would need one more batch or sup
plies. in August. He would LET Le
f.oir make that trip. And then be
would quietly clip him . dose Of the
strychnine With which IssNoir pol
soned wolves on hia fur path.
-just what sort OF people are this
Curt Ralston and these two Mich.
olaf" he asked. trying to trip lie.
Noir up.
LeNoir told him again. repeating
the whole slbFN
Karakhans doubt about the e
port vanished. The details came
too readily TO be manufactured. and
they squared exactly with his nFs,,
account.
= ~
TAPPING fresh cigarette. kara
khan reached the candle Tor 4
light. He had never known Sonya
or Ralph Niehbls. hut tho descfsD
ton OF the girl-golden-hrown hair.
brown eyes. q faint accent flashed
. picture OF sonya volkov before
him.
His blood ran faster at the thought
Of har-in bis loneliness ~ would
have given q small fortune 10 have
bad her there. But Of c0arse c was
ridiculous 70 imagine that this girl
mlght be Sonya volkov. she lad not
the falntast notion where Ne was:
and she would not come . him any.
way. the little puritan.
"flow car up he Lilluar did ron
say they arsf" he asked ;NNoiF.
DEP mug % most = dc pass.
row. | leave dem bout tnrty.iive
milsa below derA an make beeg
hurry op herA.