The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-12
4|,,,FORBIDDEN VALLEY
~ wlGaex Bynom Gloper4

AOtVS OYUON PlOUe
| stop him. Rosalle would have taken
pride in havin1another scalp at her
belt.
The more he thought about her
joining Karakhan. the more It
seemed to clash with all that he had
seen OF her during two weeks Of in
innate association. In Helen Mathie-
son one could understand such
flight; Helen was blinded and en-
tirely dominated by passion.
But Sonya was not Helen Mathie-
son. Sonya had gone through more
in her life; she was more mature,
deeper Of insight, far more thought,
full. For all the fire in her. she did
not seem q girl who would ever let
passion overrule her sense Of right.
Her association with Karakhan
was simply out of harmony with all
the rest Of her nature.
When they got up to 60 on. he
saw that Ralph had drifted back to
the borderline CT consciousness: his
eyes half open. his lips moving. He
was too far gone to talk. but he rec
ognized his friends and understood
what they said to him. Curt bent
down, encouraging:
Don't let 60. Ralph. We're leav-
ing the Lilluars ard taking you out.
Tomorrow at this time you'll be in
Prince Rupert and there they'll fix
you up"
Twice more daring the rest Of the
night Ralph carne out Of his stupor
for a few moments. The second
time he tried heard to tell Curt some
thing. Curt believed 1t was some
thing about S,1nya, for her name
was distinguis" able in the broken
whispers. But whatever it was. it
went unsaid.
MORNING cstme at last with the
4vA gray smoke-mist curling up
and trout breaking the surface In
silvery flashes.
They stopped ten minutes to rest,
and then hurried on all the faster.
now that they had light to travel by.
With 'enn-Og In the PROV. guiding
them down the river that he knew
SO intimately. they shot over dan
gerous white water without pausing
to scout a COURSE. Their hands were
blistered from the paddle work.
their arms ached intolerably, but
for Ralph's sake they drove them
selves to the limit.
One hour Of merciless padding,
then five minutes Of rest: another
hour and another five minutes on
the sand-in that steady relentless
fashion they reeled or the long
miles Of the fight south.
At noon they came to q sluggish
lake Of reed patches and sloughs
where ducks and geese and teal in
countless numbers had their sum-
mer rookeries. As they were thread
ing a shortcut channel, Curt glanced
back toward the lake head and hap.
pened to see colony Of little black
terms rise out Of q slough and ex-
plode like . pun Of feathers, with
shrill cries Of alarm.
Evidently something out Of the or.
binary had flushed them. As he kept
watching he saw scattered ducks
and teal 60 UP. lower down the
slough. indicating that the cause Of
the alarm, whatever it might be, was
coming down stream.
Suspicious. he and Paul stopped;
backed into thick clump OF flags
and waited. A minute later two ca
noes came skimming around reedy
point and headed down toward
them. Travelling light, three stall
wart men to boat, they had come
south even faster than his party.
To let them 60 past would only
have meant IN ambush and fight
further down river. They had to
be stopped. Waiting till they were
within easy range, he and Paul
opened on them with a sudden blast.
The ricocheting bullets. smashing
through the wind-water line Of the
craft sank them before the thun.
derstruck Klosohees could realize
that ambushtng was game which
two could play at. With their canoes
laundering under them, the six
leaped out and swan for the near.
est flags.
Muddied and bedraggled. they
stood on their bit Of quiveriux boz
and stonily waited to be shot, q
Curtis canoe nosed across toward
them. Curt looked them over. Like
Tenn.0g they were tall rugged men.
hardy mountaineers az virile 1
type Of Indian a. he had ever seen.
TELL EN- we're not going to kill
en-" he babe Tenn-Og. "Find ont
where the main hand IL and what
they're doing. and where the white
girl H."
He listened closely a. Tenn-Ox,
talked with the nix. but he could
not understand = word Of the clicks
and grunts except tho names Of!
siam.Klale and LeNoir.
When the palaver was over an
he had made sure that the six men
could get across to the shore. he
backed tho canoe Of and headed his
party down stream again.
(copyr!0ht. 1888. Willtom B. Kouery)
With their tragic burden. Curt
! and his men continue their flint
kAnA0fp0Ne. 'sO'e