The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1934-01-18
Chapter Al
HOT FIGHT

n LONG yen arose. IL was taken
up and echoed by those below
The Klosohees at the lean-to's
seized their weapons and sprang tc
cover in a rocky ravine three rods
to their left.
LeNoir started to follow them
Paul's bullet caught him and sent
him rolling. He staggered to his
feet again. AS Paul drew another
bead on him. two of the Klosohees
leaped out and g abbed his arms
and helped him toward the gully. II
was so courageous an act that Pau
refused to shoot again for fear OF
killing those two.
Down the shore Siam-Klale had
swerved his canoe in toward the
bank when the yell went up. Paul
swung on him and emptied his rife
but the range was far too long even
for Paul. Splashing through the
stallows. SiamKlale dived out of
sight into juniper clump.
At the cabin Karakhan appeared
in the doorway to see what the com
motion was about. Curt whipped up
his rife and shot. His bullet spin.
tered the door frame. and sent the
Cossack jumping back inside.
After that frst pandemonium a
silence fell. Curt saw nothing,
heard nothing. The advantage of
surprise was gone. they were
thrown on the defensive; and now
they were up against o, erwhelming
odds. in a timber fight where the
Klosohees were deadly.
TennOg pointed down at the ra-
vine. Siam-Klale aud the breed had
got their men in hand and were
bringing them up the deep brushy
gully.
Wed better get back to the
cave" Paul warned.
Curt shook his head. II they did,
the klosohees would keep them
penned up in there for hours. Karak-
kan would escape. Sonya would be
taken away. He hung on grimly.
waiting for a break.
Without warning, an arrow
burned into the tangle and pinned
his jacket sleeve to the log he was
lying against. It came not from level
range but from above. He turned.
looked up at the cliff. In a clump of
buckbrush on top OF the rock bush
swayed. mans head and shoulders
appeared for an instant.
1t dawned on him that the Klo-
sohees had out-maneuvered and cor
nered them. While part of the band
was coming slowly up the rayine.
the others had circled out the slope
and up on top Of the cliff.
He jerked up his rife and shot at
the buckbrush clump. A man leaped
up. staggering blindly. took a step
or two, plunged over the lip of the
rock, struck once against the face
of the cliff as he fell. and hit with a
heavy thud on the boulders beneath.
Almost at tina. same instant
third arrow came hurtling down at
Curt and hit the bolt of his rifle. De-
fiected downward. it struck his right
hand that gripped the trigger guard.
ard sheared off his ring finger like
razor-edged chisel He lifted his
hand and stared blankly at the
wound, unable to realize that his
finger had been cut off. till the blood
started squirting and darts Of pain
shot up his arm.
COME swift flashing object. whiz-
- zing down from the cliff-top like
a tiny cartwheel. caromed off
boulder. glanced sidewise, and
smashed Paul across the forehead.
His rife dropped from his hands. he
went limp and sank over against a
log.
AS Curt whirled to see how badly
Paul had been hurt by the whizzing
belt-ax. he caught glimpse of
Karakhan making a dash from his
cabin to the hangar. clipping the
blood from his singing hand, he
rose up, pointed his rife and took a
careful aim at the scurrying figure.
Before his finger squeezed the
trigger. a sudden agonizing pain
struck him in the right hip and
nearly bowled him over. Giddy and
faint from the shock, he looked
down and saw an arrow buried head
deep in his thigh.
He seized hold Il the shaft shut
his eyes. gave hard jerk, and the
arrow came.
Curt grabbed Paul's shoulder and
shook him. Paul! We've got to
make a break. They've got US, here.
Pull yourself together. II we can get
to the cave we might save our
selves"
He helped Paul to his feet,
steadied him: and they started for
the game trail. Tenn-Og led the
way. tearing path through the
tangled brush. Behind them the Klo-
sohees in the ravine poured out OF
their cover and came yelling up the
slope, to overhaul and spear them.