Evening star., 1934-01-02
Il FORBIDDEN VALLEY
44%-sssszA BY uJilGam By1om (Towsy

Klosohees. In half minute they would
be pouring inside to finish off their
wounded enemies. Neither he nor Paul
could put up any fight.
But as he stopped down and grasped
the log ends he thought of the conse-
quences-the three of them cooped up
in there for hours, Karakhan escaping,
Sonya being snatched away and hid
den. 1t was this last thought that
stopped him. He could not sacrifice
her in order to save himself.
He Strengthened up "Tenn-Og!
Take the lead. Get us out to that ledge
opening"
The Indian seized his hand and
started away into the inky blackness.
The next few minutes were blind
and aimless cropping. Then an hands
and knees they squeezed through a slit
in the rock and came out on the ledge
near the flSSure.
Curt grasped bush, leaned out and
glanced back along the face of the cliff
to the cave mouth. The ferns and
dwarf birches hanging against the rock
obscured his view, but he saw enough
to know that most of the Klosohees
had swept on inside. Only three or
four men remained at the entrance.
He drew back They're in the cave
looking for us. Paul. stay here. You're
too wabbly. Tenn-Og and I'll try to
trap EN-"
They scrambled into the fissure and
down to the game trail and headed
back to the cave mouth. With auto
matte drawn, Curt rounded jut and
ran headlong into LIE Noir, Siam-Klale
and third man.
The breed saw him first and grabbed
with his left hand for his belt-gun
but Curtis automatic cut him down and
he toppled over, shot cleanly through
the heart.
With a hoarse cry, Tenn-Og sprang
past Curt and flung himself bodily at
the other two. The third man stabbed
at him with a spear and tore the flesh
in his arm. Tenn-Og grabbed the
weapon, Wrenched it away and whirled
on Siam-klale.
Tenn-Og'S arm went back, his body
tautened like steel spring, he lunged
forward and drove the spear home with
all the force of his long cherished hate.
the breast. He tried to cripple with
Tenn-Og, but his arms went limp, he
staggered and fell backwards and went
rolling down the slope till he ketched
up against a tree.
The third man dived like a scared
marmot into the cave. Curt smashed
him with the butt Of his automatic
and reached the log. Bracing his foot
to keep himself from toppling, he lifted
the logs, swung and let go.
When he got back outside he saw
Tenn-Og standing down the slope,
staring at Siam-Klale's body as though
the end of his vengeance had left him
dazed. Paul was stumbling along the
game trail toward them. his face so
covered with blood that he was hardly
recognizable.
"You-you knocked the logs out?"
Listen" From the cave came yells
of fear and terror as the Klosohees
CROPPED for the bridge and found it
gone. Does that sound as though I
did?"
A caribou spear came hurtling out
through the cave entrance. Paul and
Curt hastily jumped aside.
Down on the lake a motor started
up with pluttering roar. Curtis
wounds, the quick, desperate work of
the last minute, and the smashing sue
cess of his trap, had made him forget
about Karakhan. but the roar brought
him alive.
He turned, threw down his gun.
"Stay here, Paul, you and Tenn-Og!
III stop him!"
But how You can't stop him!"
"Ive got to! I will"
He plunged down the slope, passed
the cabin without checking himself or
even looking at it, swerved west along
the lake shore and headed for the cove
at a dead run. The wound in his thigh
panied till it sickened him; he breathed
in gulps and every stride jolted a gasp
from his lips; but he shut his eyes
against the pain and ran on.
Curt, desperately, takes to the air,
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