The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1934-01-15

| desperately to guide the fight. In
the deep valleys under keel twilight
was already gathering: the visible
ity was made still poorer by a
pearly-gray haze that came drifting
down from some forest fire in the
Yukon country.
But his job was to guide them, and
he came through with it. AS noun
tain nomad he was somewhat used
to heights. and by recognizing ia
miiar range or lake system now
and then, he was able to keep his
bearings.
AT last be touched Curtis arm and
pointed twenty-odd miles east at two
lordiy cloud-wrapped mountains.
"Sunali and Dinaggwah." he said:
and be indicated that on the other
side of them. lay the headwaters
lake.
Curt studied the giant twins care
fully. He had to get down on that
lake unheard and unseen, for at the
slightest hint of a plane in that
country Karakhan would escape in
his own ship. and they had no gas
to follow. II the plane could climb
high enough, he could cut off the
engine and glide those twenty-five
miles to the lake and so get there
unheard.
But to reach it without being seen
was a harder problem. calling for
all the flying skill he had. There
was flock of clouds swirling around
the two giants and filling the pass
between them. If he could keep be-
hind some big cloud on his approach
and fly through the pass by instru.
ments. he would come out on the
shadow side of Sunali. 1t would be
twilight there and the plane would
hardly be visible mile away.
LIE PUT the plane into a steep
circling CT m b. At eighteen
thousand feet he geared In the su
percharge to aid the laboring motor
The thermometer on the wing strut
showed sixteen below. and at nine
teen thousand feet it dropped to
twenty-one. He noticed his compan.
ions nodding drowsily, and he kept
sharp watch over his own senses
In the thin air he managed to get
another thousand out Of his plane.
Twenty thousand feet high. he
| looked through a rift of cloud be-
tween the two mountains and caught
glimpse of the dark lake valley
beyond. Cutting off the engine. he
pointed the ship at the great cleft,
and began the long silent glide.
Heading on and on toward the
snowy pass. he plunged at last into
the clouds that lowered around the
giants. For a space OF five minutes
be slipped silently through fleecy
| wooipack. where the sky above and
earth below were botted out and
only his instruments kept him
pointed true.
When he came out of the wool
pack. he was through the pass and
down in the purple shadows of
Sunali.
Dropping on down, with the dark
waters slowly coming up to meet
him. he veered in toward the south
shore. under Tenn-Og's guidance.
Three miles from Karakhan's cabin,
he leveled off. plowed water. and
came to stop. He was there, all
right; he had made 1t without be-
ing seen or heard; but with less
than six gallons Of gas left. he would
never get out Of that mountain
Graded lake. No escape, DO retreat
lit was locked fight now.
A light breeze blowing offshore
began drifting the plane out into the
lake. Paul reached the two stubby
paddles from the canvas canoe out
fit. and the four men clambered
down on the floats. BY strenuous
work they managed to check the
VI IL ohu otoil tuC piduS III w.
ward land.
A mile from the cabin Tenn-Og
showed them small cove. screened
by several big pines. where the
plane would be fairly well hidden.
They warped 1t inside, moored 1t,
got out their guns.
You're to stay here aud watch
the ship" Curt ordered Smash. He
hated to cut down his party, but
Smash was too careless for the work
ahead. Instead of help he would
be constant danger. NOW keep
yourself under cover: these Kloso-
hees have sharp eyes and long ears.
Well scout the place out down there
before we spring the fight. and I'll
let you know what we're doing"
"Okay. Don't worry about me-"
A little distance down the shore
Curt happened to turn and glance
back at the cove. A match was far
ing up-Smash lighting a cigarette.
In the black pine shadows the point
or fire could have been spotted half
mile away.
| Copyright. William B. Mo,oery)
| Curtis partv sples n M fha