Evening star., 1933-12-25
Ii ,..FORBlDDEN VALLEY
64 WilGasx Bqnom fTlowe,v

AotiC AoOu, nAlu LiiCll tUOh IIlcul d CUupI0
OF rods aside. you two lie down." he
clifton we're fit for nothing, ana we
don't know what's ahead Of US. I'll
stay up with Ralph. I can do every
thing that needs to be done. God
knows it's not much"
In the eastern sky the moon bright
ened as night shut down. Filtering
through the pine branches, it cast fill
gree shadows on the woods floor and
lay in a wan ghostly food over Ralph
and the wolf-foot and the plot Of black
lilies. Far away. so far it seemed mere
pinpoint OF sound in the night silence,
crescendo wailing arose, and was
taken up and answered from a dozen
mountain peaks.
In the last two hours, since realizing
that Ralph was not to be with them,
Curt had made up his mind to go back
north and try to capture Karakhan.
Tenn-Og could take them to that head
water lake. If Smash had kept his
and could make the trip in less than
three hours.
With any luck at all, he would not
only end his long hunt then and there,
but he could shield Sonya and bring
her out. In spite Of her association with
Karakhan he felt 1t his duty, as q man,
to look after her safety. She was q
white girl, she had shot square with
him and helped him and Paul out Of
desperate plight.
Besides, he was vaguely beginning to
suspect that there was something to her
relations with the Russian which he
knew nothing about. Her letter to the
man and her talk with lie Noir stood
as mountainous facts against her, but
still he was troubled. His bad mistake
about Tenn-Og, Of whose treachery he
had been so sure, made him wonder
whether he might not be partly mis-
taken about Sonya, too.
The time verged on midnight. Red
Antares, glittering in the southwest,
hung low over the distant peakline.
Through the trees he watched 1t sink
and vanish. When he glanced again
at Ralph he was surprised to see that
the latter's eyes were open. -.
He took Ralph's hand. to let him
know that friend was with him. Ralph
looked around, evidently looking for
Scnya. The delirium had passed, he
seemed to be in no pain whatever; but
he was not altogether clear-headed, and
his consciousness was the last faint
hare-up.
He gazed up at Curt for a moment.
His lips parted. Curt bent lower,
Where are-we. Curt?"
,.,"1 "Down river. Ralph Back at the
You thought-could get me-out?"
Curt nodded, not trusting his voice.
Where's Sonya, Curt? I'd like her
Curt started to say that sonya was
on her way to Karakhan, but he checked
himself. No need to recall that painful
fact to Ralph's wandering mind.
shes sleeping, Ralph. I'll wake her
before long. She asked me TO-"
Then she didn't try-to reach him,
Curt?" Ralph asked, struggling weakly
against the fog in his brain Curt could
see him cropping to recall the happen
ings of that dim time before he was
stricken. Il thought-she did CO."
I'm glad. Shed have been left
alone in Herewith those Indians.
tried to tell her so-but she believed
ward"
Curt thought that Ralphs mind must
be wandering badly What did he mean
by left alone in there?" She would be
with Karakhan. wouldn't shea And
what did Ralph mean by shed get out,
somehow, afterward?" After what?
You'll watch out for her now, Curt?"
Ralph begged. She likes you-more
llan sne-1etS herSef think. you'll take
/ care of her, won't you?"
Curt promised. He felt himself on
the verge Of something portentous, a
discovery Of the whole truth about Son.
vas trip. Very plainly she had told
Ralph.
Before he could word the questions in
his mind, Ralph's lips were moving
again.
She wanted to-trust you. Curt.
Wanted to tell you, and ask your help.
But she felt she-didn't dare She
wasn't sure-just who you were: and
she was afraid you'd-judge her harshly.
Afraid ycu'd-send her back out-if
you knew. That would have been-a
terrible blow to her. She couldn't rest,
couldn't Ive-tul she'd hunted him
down"
Ralph sank back, limp and quiet. A
tremor passed through him. For a mo-
rnent Curt thought it was the end But
then came faint rally.
The incoherent words he had Just
listened to bewildered Curt Ralph was
distinctly implying that when Sonya
reached the headwaters lake she would
be exposed to some great danger.