The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-12-13
Chapter 24
ERRAND OF MERCY

| ERRAND OF MERCY WHEN they got down to camp W they found the place badly shot up. Arrows bristlei in the canoes, stuck out of the packs and sleeping bags, and both tents had been rid died,
 Paul went into his tent for a flashlight and came out, holding his left arm queerly. Give me hand witl this. partner"
 What's the trouble?"
 "One of those mosquitoes bit me. '
 Curt leaned forward Good Lord!" An arrow was sticking in Paul's left forearm. It had struck hir' just below the elbow and passed clear through, the head -tanding out two inches on the other side.
 Paul, Why didn't you tell me about this before? When did it hap pen?"
 When I was going back to those boulders to make Francois and Jocku quit shooting"
 Curt whirled around in rage and looked for the two guides. But they had wisely sidled away into the dark.
 Did it break your arm Paul?"
 "No. It slid between the bones. Pull it out, won't you?"
 "1t's going to hurt, Paul. Can you stand it?"
 Paul braced his foot against Curtis. Sonya steadied his arm With a firm pull Curt drew out the arrow, as gently as he could. A srasm of pain swept across the young Canadians face, but he did not say a word. A tricklet of blood followed. surprisingly little for so bad wound.
 "We ought to be thankful 1t didn't hit that large artery in there. Paul. I'll fix this up properly and then you want to take care of it till it starts to heal. A wound like that can be ugly if it gets infected"
 While he was bandaging Paul's arm he heard low grooming sound from somewhere out in tie night. A moment later it came again, more distinctly.
 "Why. it's somebody hurt, in pain." Sonya exclaimed. Paul, did you catch the direction?"
 lover on that willow island
 "Then it must be the man they shot! Those others thought he was dead and left him.
 Finishing quickly with Paul. he got a canoe ready and carried it down to the water. The anguish in tha. low moan tugged at him.
 Sonya followed him to the water edge. Please. Curt" she begged, "don't run big risk like this"
 Risk? What d'ycu mean?"
 "Those others might still De over tlere. This might be trap. Don't go." She was visibly afraid for him. Wait ,ill it gets light"
 But Paul saw them leave, Sonya. We can't let the poor devil lie over there and die"
 You're sure there's no danger%
 "Step in," he bade her. by way of answer You can go along. if you like. You know I wouldn't take you il there was any risk"
 t.T T the willows edge T Klosohee, clad in moccasins and deerskin trousers, lay sprawled on the gravel, face down, his body twitching in pain.
 Curt knelt down and gently turned him over. The Indian was about his own age, a well-bailt and rugged man, his hair coarse black and his skin the color of smoked leather. All in all he was the wildest-looking fellow that Curt had ever run across. much wilder than the outlying Si- kanni nomads or the primitive Din neh men of the Nahanai Mountains.
 Yet there was something likable about his untamed fierceness. He was cleanly of person, as hard as an oak knot. and his smoke-tanned clothes had the pleasant odor of mountain pines and innum erable campfires.
 : Curt pointed at five loug whitish weals which scored the Indians left cheek and ran down his shoulder to his breast. Look at those, Sonya. He's been in a fight with grizzly some time or other" He examined the Indian to see how badly he had been sEct. One bull let had struck him in the shoulder. painful but not critical wound. for it had not shattered the bones. An other had bit hir. squa:eis in the forehead.
 That forehead wound astonished Curt. It was the first time he had ever seen a man take ] bullet be.