The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-03

What do you make of itr' Paul whispered.
 q don't know. Maybe they're pull ing themselves together for the rush."
 1 Curt bent down beside Nichols again and tried to rouse some sign of life. Ralph still lay motionless, limp and stricken. It was all Curt could do. He strengthened up to help Paul watch.
 "Seen anything of 'em?"
 Not a glimpse. 1 heard a noise down near the tents but saw noth- ing"
 Curt sprang over the barricade. secured Ralph's two guns and the cartridges. came back. waited.
 When the deadlock did break, 1t broke suddenly. Down at the lower tip. the canoes wh 'h had reached shore all at once went darting 1t through the shallows-escaping. Launched on the run. they were out upon the open lake and disappear ing at top speed before Curt and Paul could realize what was taking place.
 They stared at each other in amazement.
 They're gone!" Paul gasped.
 Curt was more skeptical. He sim. ply could not believe it. Maybe they're gone. This thing has got the earmarks of trap. to me-"
 But we saw them go."
 A suspicion of the truth struck Curt.
 How many canoes did you see?"
 "Six."
 That's what counted. Only five boats reached shore. Where'd they get that extra canoe"
 They left the barricade and hur- ried dowL to the camp site Curtis heart sank as he glanced about. All their supplies had been destroyed. With Paul at his heels he turned and ran out to where they had aban- doned their canoe. It was not there.
 It was the loss of their canoe that really frightened them. Food. sup. plies. tents-those were not matters of life or death. But with a mile of water all around them and no craft to get away in. they were help less prisoners cn that bare strip of sand and boulders.
 IN FRONT of the tents Paul hunted around and found one of the pine knots which they had used for start ing fires quickly Over in the barri- cade Curt lit it with double match, wedged the taper between two rocks, and bent over Ralph's crumpled form.
 Curtis hand shook and his eyes grew misty as he worked with his stricken friend. He decided to cut. off the shaft of the arrow and let the rest remain. for he could never ex- tract the dart without starting an internal bleeding that would speed fly be fatal. When he had done that, he brought water and bathed Ralph's face and loosened his clothes to make him more comfort able. That was all they could do for him.
 The remainder of the short night passed quietly. Several times Curt heard signal calls drifting across the lake. but he did not even bother to keep lookout. for he knew they would not be molested. The Kloso- hees woulG sit around on those neignboring islands and wait and wait till starvation and exposure had done the work for them.
 His thoughts of Sonya were bitter thoughts. not so much because of the suffering she had brought him as what she had done to Ralph. With no thought of self he had accompa. nieu her on her trip. helping her all he could: and then. without scruple or hesitation. she had abandoned him when it suited her convenience.
 To sit there in terrible helpless. ness and watch his life ebb away when he might have chance to live was the most maddening experience that Curt had eve undergone.
 At creek mouth on the mainland shore a wisp of smoke stood up above the trees from the central camp. Canoes came and went freely across the water. Once. when one of them came dancing past six hun dred yards away, Paul seized his rifle in fury. screwed up the sight on the long-range Savage. sank the craft with his ricocheting bullets, and sent its three occupants swim. ming for the nearest island. After that the canoes kept a respectful distance.
 The monday sun was torture. It beat down on the rocks and sand like the glare iron a furnace door. There was not square inch of shade on the island, not a breath of air stirring. Their only relief was to immerse themselves repeatedly in the shallows and sprinkle water around the shelter where Ralph lay. fCopurt9ht I9Ss WHliam B. MopervJ
 Curt decides, tomorrow, to
 relieve the situation by des-
 perate measures.