Evening star., 1934-01-02

LONG yell arose. II was taken
" UP and echoed by those below.
"A The Klosohees at the lean-tos
4 n seized their weapons and sprang
to cover in a rocky ravine 3
rods to their left.
LIE Noir started to follow them. Paups
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 grabbed
his arms and helped him toward the
gully It was SO courageous an act
that Paul refused to shoot again for
fear of killing those two.
Down the shore Siam-Klale had
sverved his canoe in toward the bank
when the yell went up. Paul swung
on him and emptied his rifle, but the
range was far too long even for Paul.
Splashing through the shadows, SIAM
Klale dived out Of sight into juniper
clump
At the cabin Karakhan appeared in
the doorway to see what the commotlon
was about. Curt whipped up his rife
and shot. His bullet splintered the
door frame and sent the CossaCk
jumping back inside.
After that first pandemOnium 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 over
vhelming odds in a timber fight where
the Klosohees we're deadly.
Tenn-Og pointed down at the ravine.
Siam-Klale and 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. If they did
the KIosohees would keep them penned
I'D in there for hours. Karakhan would
escape. Sonya would be taken away.
He hung on grirnly. waiting for
break.
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 a bush sTayed, mans
head and shoulders appeared for an
instant
1t dawned on him that the Klosohees
had outmaneuvered and cornered them.
While part of the band was coming
slowly up the ravine the others had
circled cut the slope and upon top OF
the cliff.
He jerked up his rife and shot at
the buckbrush clump. A man leaped
up, staggering blindly, took 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 the same instant a third
arrow came hurtling down at Curt and
hit Tie bolt of his rife DETECTED
downward, it struck his right hand that
gripped the trigger guard and sheared
off his ring finger like a 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.
Some swift flashing object, whizzing
down from the cliff-top like tiny
glanced sidewise and smashed Paul
across the forehead. His rife dropped
from his hands, he went limp and sank
aver against log.
AS Curt whirled to see how badly Paul
had been hurt by the whizzing belt-aX
he caught a glimpse Of Karakhan
making dash from his cabin to the
hangar Flipping the blood from his
stinging hand, he rose up. pointed his
rifle and took a careful aim at the
scurrying figure.
before MS llllger squeezed Ine 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 Of the shaft, shut his
eyes. gave a hard jerk and the arrow
came.
Curt grabbed Pauls shoulder and
shook him. Paul! We've got to make
a break They've got US, here. Pull
yourself together. If We can get to
the cave we might save ourselves"
He helped Paul to his feet, steadied
him. and they started for the game
trail. Tenn-Og led the way, tearing a
path through the tangled brush. Be-
hind them the KlosoheeS in the ravine
poured out of their cover and came
yelling up the slope to overhaul and
spear them. But they reached the foot
of the cliff, hit into the trail and
dashed out along it to the cave mouth
Get on back!' Curt cried to Tenn
Og, who had halted in the entrance
''We can't hold 'em of. AL he'll can't
stop 'em"
They hurried Paul back to the bridge
and between them they got him across
the logs to the cave. Curt whirled to
gull the logs do ! and stop the