The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-19
Chapter 4S LOOKING UP

cove Curt shouted anead at Smash: Start the engine! Revv it up for mel"
 For once Smash came through. While Curt was reaching the cove, Smash cut the mooring ropes. clam bered into the cabin, cranked the engine and pushed up the throttle, and had the motor settled into a steady powerful rhythm.
 Jump out!" Curt ordered him, splashing to pontoon and chamber ing up. i've got to go after him alone"
 Smash jumped into the hip-deep water, but turned, looked up.
 Curt! Whatre you going to do, man? What the devil-?"
 He was suddenly bowled over, deluged and half drowned in blind ing smother of spume and chopped up water. as Curt opened the motor to it's laundering roar and plowed out of the cove to the open lake. For several minutes after Curt had left the cave mouth. Paul stayed there to watch. But he saw noth- ing, and decided that he was needed elsewhere.
 Before leaving. he called in Sikan. nj to the men inside the cave: Things of infamy, you will come out when we say come out! If you are peaceful, you will see the sun shine again. If not, you can stay there till this mountain ears away!"
 He started down the slope to the cabin. On his way past the gully. he stopped at pool of water and washed the blood from his face.
 From the door of the cabin he saw Sonya lying bound and gagged on the bunk She turned her head saw him and tried to rise, but Kara khan had bound her too securely. Paul ran across to her. As he bent over her and she looked up at him the expression in her eyes was a thing he could never afterward for. get,
 When he cut her loose she sprang up and hugged him, sobbing: Paul. Paul. Oh, knew-l heard the shoot ing-I knew you had come! Where's Curt? Is he-is he safe?"
 In few words Paul explained Tenn Og brought us north. we flew in last night, we've just whipped the Klosohees. T h planes. hear them" the two ships out on the lake were jarring the cabin with their full-gunned roar-"that's Curt going after Karakhan." Let's go!"
 They ran out of the cabin to the open landwash.
 Heavy with gas. Karakhan's plane ! had got off the water and climbed to thousand feet. and was circling for altitude to clear the ranges. Curt was just jumping his ship into the air as they came out.
 Lighter and swifter than the other plane. it climbed in a steep thunder 1 ing spiral, cutting down Karakhan's s lead so rapidly that in four minutes 1t was up level with the Speedair.
 In bewildered awe Paul and Sonya stood on the shore, faces upturned
 What's Curt going to do, Paul?" Sonya cried.
 Paul shook his head, utterly non. plussed. His partner had gas for only few miles and could not fol. low; he had no gun except an auto matic, and could not fight. His maneuvers were utterly mystifying He was not even trying to close up while he might have got in lucky shot with the pocket gun; instead he was deliberately keeping at dis | tance from Karakhan. A T FOUR THOUSAND feet Kara. \ khan leveled off and swung due south. Curt was behind him at that moment, and about five hundred feet above. As the Speedair swung, Curtis ship nosed down and headed for the other plane, straight as a auted arrow.
 He hurled on and on, aiming his craft like huge projectile at Kara khan's plane. The interval shrank two hundred feet. hundred, fifty Still he did not turn or swerve an inch. Sonya screamed.
 He was going to crash! He was crashing!
 With an explosive smash that came to them distinctly. the Fair child plowed into the other ship, breaking the Speedair's fuselage in two and tearing off both wings. Careening on beyond the Speedair, | Curtis plane turned over twice, with It's own pontoons and one of its wings gone: and started crazy lurching spin to the lake below.
 Karakhan's ship. tangle of fabric and m al, came plummeting straight down. A few seconds after the crash a puff of smoke streamed