The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-05
ii FORBIDDEN VALLEY
|=e1 b. l1ilGasm Byson fTlov0u4

NAA1vve 04SV0vS sS
Of his chiefs but an enemy who was
playing some Infinitely clever game,
Karakhan might shoot him In his
tracks.
Karakhan ripped the envelope and
held the letter to the window where
the gray dawn-light was flterfng
through. In bewilderment he
scanned the first few lines, then
whipped over to the last page and
glanced at the signature to see who
his correspondent was.
"Sonya Volkov!"
sDen you know her? She no lie to
me?'
The question went past the Rus
sian unheard-he had turned back To-
the first page and was reading the
letter with an intentness that shut
out everything except the words be-
fore him.
Even yet LeNoir could not tell
whether his chief would burst out at
him in = fury or would I'll his pocket
with money, as the girl had said he
would. He watched anxiously.
But then, little by little. he saw
how his chief was taking It. Karak-
hans anger and establishment
passed swiftly and changed to dis
belief, as though he simply could not
credit his good fortune: and then
came q leaping exultation which his
habitual cold mask could not quite
hide.
"Where Is she, LeNoir?" The
pages Quivered in his unsteady
hands. why the devil didn't you
bring her along with you. MANI"
LeNoir drew q breath Of immense
relief and his jumpy nerves
smoothed themselves out. The girl
had spoken the truth!
"She down der at dat camp wit
dc u'ders." he explained. Thinking
this q good chance to impress
Karakhan with his caution, he
added: "How know wedder she
talkit straight or not? don't know
she aw-right, ontil you say. Ne. l
don tell nobody were you hide. and
dom breeng no strangers here"
"But you should've. suppose
you did do right. since you didn't
know the-uh, circumstances. Sit
down. I'll get some coffee for u.s.
| As LeNoir eased onto the wall
= bench his glance strayed out
the window to the landwash where
half = dozen lean honey-colored
huskies were nosing along the water
edge for dead fish. A pistol shot
east Of the hangar fourteen birch.
bark canoes lay side by side on the
sand like basking seals: and In the
timber Just behind them smoke was
rising from three big campfires. The
party was the Black Grizzly and his
men, on their way south.
They had come = hundred miles
without stopping even for food, and
another hundred lay ahead Of them.
The sight Of them comforted
LeNoir q lot. after his two dismal
failures to wipe out Ralston's party.
He certainly could use thirty more
men on the Job. One swoop and
smash. and the business would be-
done.
| The Russian came out Of the
boarded-on kitchen with a not ~
coffee. He poured two tins and laced
them with brandy. LeNoir drained
his cup at gulp. Slowly slipping his.
Karakhan listened while LeNoir
told him Of the happenings down
river.
/ About the two suspicious strans.
ers who were drawing closer and
closer to his hiding, the Russian
asked no questions just then. He
was unable to focus his thoughts an
that pair-the sentences Of SONY.
volkov's letter were gallopinx too
madly through his mind, and hi.
emotions we're too much in ! turmoil
over her. She was near him, within
: hundred miles! II I'VE or six DAYS
more she would be there with him,
| LeNoir suggested carefully. .sha
toll me dat you b veree 'bligeI tor
No breeng You dis letter and you nav
mo something. mebbe." He thonrht
Il good policy to mention the MONEY
matter while his chief was still n
the hrst dush Of slation and more
likely to b generous. wen / rs
on dat weelow islam take beer
chance on walk into trap: and den /
make his long treep fas'ern hell.
Il KarAkhau took ont 1 billfold =.
lected yellow note and passed Il
over. LeNoir blinked his eyes - hs
nav tho denomination-two o. tra,1.
. INK : 5. His chief had always naid
him very handsomely, but half :
thousand dollars. for ono trip-ths
; girls letter must have hit Karakh.r
hardl
~Thereu b others like that. h,s
CHIEF assured. when you brinr
hef here TO me-. Several oth..s
You'd better set some sleep nov'
siam'Klaleis OUTFIT got in 1ust 1 litt1.
. while ago and they wont be re.S.
! 70 start On tn nearly noon.
/ fcoSNtoht. 1855. Wtllio~ B. xo,o.r.,,
III karakhan, tomorrow, makA.
= le4e slsqlaeegt pfsparatlanE "