The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-02-26
Chapter S9
LANGToN's STORY

| JANICE exclaimed in a choked o voice, He's hurt, Frank, oh, he's hurt"
 1 Langton muttered, That hap pened weeks ago. Pm all right now. i got cracked up badly trying to get out of this valley. / line I'd made broke when 1 was halfway up the cliff. Getting food was pretty hard for few weeks. :"
 Janices eyes glistened. Langton smiled. Don't feel sorry for me Miss Kent-wait til l show you my Crusoe bachelor quarters. I've got everything including running water. 1 Too much running water, but I'm afraid not so many groceries as I'd like.
 He chatted on, gayly, incense. quentially, as if he were admitting them to his house for an afternoons , visit. Frank could not take his eyes from the gangling emaciated figure.
 The few rags of clothes he had were soiled and torn and hung from him like pitiful tatters on a scare ] crow. He suggested that they walk to his camp.
 He ambled ahead with grotesque limp, swinging his stone-tipped bludgeon with what was almost an air of gay insouciance. The other arm stood out at pitiful angle.
 The afternoon sun dipped beyond the western cliffs as they reached Langton's fire. The high-priest lay as they had seen him earlier in the afternoon, face immobile. eyes hate full.
 Frank experienced little crawl. ing of the muscles of his back as the ahkin's eyes rested upon him. Help less as the man was nevertheless his glance seemed to have substance.
 Frank felt the malevplent impac; of his gaze. The ahkin seemed to have power for harm that was be yond the physical.
 Langton poked the fire with a stick. Several hours had passed since they had found him at their camp across the stream. After show ing them his "Crusoe quarters the small shack that stood before the entrance to an extensive cave. he had pressed them with questions of he outside world
 His months out of civilization, le dad said, seemed like so many years. Frank had gossiped steadily. and his news. supplemented by what Janice could tell. seemed to bring back the side of Billy Langton' s nature - the impudent. reckless charm-that the world had thought lost forever to it.
 Langton listened with the com plete absorption of child with . fairy tale.
 Once with a vast penitence he in terrupted to ask them if they were hungry. He barely waited for their answer, but disappeared into the cave and brought out woven bas ket of dried venison.
 Janice and FranK ate ravenously The ahkin. when 1t was offered to him had waved his hand negatively almost contemptuously. Nor dic Langton eat any.
 Hes like am, "Langtor grinned. I'm so sick of the stuff my self I'd rather eat bucket o spinach if I had bucket o spinach"
 FRANK glanced at him suspicious | ly. Is that all you have?" Ht pointed at the basket.
 Langton chuckled behind hi! blond beard. "I get you. But your, wrong this time :. .. There's more il the cave. And more running arount loose in the jungle.
 "This place Is sort of wild gam trap. Animals that don't fall off tn cliffs float down the stream an land here. They can't get out" H stared with impassive reflection into the fire.
 i've done as well for food as coul be expected. I've had enough, any way. made a rope of vines an cactus fiber. With it could trap deer when wanted.
 'I've even caught turkey or two and managed to net fish. The ifs weren't very good. The trouble wa -" Langton made grimace "- that the rope finally got me i trouble.
 q made a long one, tied a rock {