The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-10
/ a.FORBIDDEN VALLEY
zz -! 81 l);lGasw Burom (llouesu

Anas bq',oN I'lowO4 !
A dead silence fell. It heightened 70
i've minutes. !
what do you make Of it," Paul
whispered.
Il don't know. Maybe they're pull.
ing themselves together for the
rush."
Curt bent down beside Nichols
again and tried to rouse some sign
Of life. Ralph still lay motionless,
limp and stricken. It was all Curt
could do. He Strengthened up to help
Paul watch.
Seen anything Of 'em?'
mot . glimpse. ! heard = noise
down near the tents but saw moth.
ing"
Curt sprang over the barricade,
secured Ralph's two guns and the
cartridges. came back. waited.
When the deadlock did break, It
broke suddenly. Down at the lower
tip. the canoes VIII. n had reached
shore all at once went darting 1T
through the shallows-escaping.
Launched on the run. they were out
upon the open lake and disappear.
ing at top speed before Curt and
Paul could realize what was taking
place.
They stared at each other in
amazement.
They're gone!" Paul gasped.
Curt was more skeptical. He sim.
ply could not believe It. Maybe
they're gone. This thing has got the
earmarks Of trap. to me-"
"But we saw them CO."
A suspicion Of the truth struck
Curt.
"How many canoes did you seer"
"Six."
"That's what l counted. Only i've
boats reached shore. Where'd they
get that extra cancer"
They left the barricade and hur-
ried down to the camp site. Curtis
heart sank as he glanced about. All
their supplies had been destroyed.
With Paul at his heels he turned and
ran out to where they had aban.
doned their canoe. It was not there.
It was the loss of their canoe that
really frightened them. Food, sup.
plies. tents-those were not matters
OF life or death. But with q mile
OF water all around them and no
craft to get away in, they were help
less prisoners on that bare strip Of
sand and boulders.
IN FRONT Of the tents Paul hunted
I around and found one Of the pine
knots which they had used for start
ing fires quickly. Over in the barri.
cade Curt lit It with . double match.
wedged the taper between two rocks.
and bent over Ralph's crumpled
form.
Curtis hand shook and his eyes
grew misty as hs worked with his
stricken friend. He decided to cut
on the shaft Of the arrow and let the
rest remain. for hs could never q.
tract the dart without starting IN
internal bleeding that would speed
lily be fatal. When he had done that.
he brought water and bathedI
Ralph's face and loosensd his
clothes to make him more comfort;
able. That was all they could do tor
him.
The remainder Of the short night,
passed quietly. Several times Curt
heard signal calls drifting across
the lake. but he did not even bother
to keep lookout, for he knew they
would not be molested. The Kloso!
hees would sit around on those
neighboring islands and wait and
wait till starvation and exposure
had done the work for them.
His thoughts Of Sonya were bitter
thoughts. not 80 much because Of the
suffering she had brought him u
what she had done to Ralph. With
no thought Of self he had accompa-
MED her on her trip. helping her all
he could: and then. without scruple
or hesitation. she had abandoned
him when It suited her convenience.
To sit there In terrible helpless
ness and watch his life ebb away
when he might have . chance to live
was the most maddening- experience
that Curt had ever undergone.
At . creek mouth on the mainland
shore . wisp Of smoke stood I'M
above the trees from the central
camp. Canoes came and went frealv
across the water. Once. when one
o. them came dancing past six hun.
dred yards away. Paul seized his
rtde IN . fury. screwed up the sight
on the long-range Savage, sank the
craft with his ricocheting bullets.
and sent its three occupants swim.
ming for the nearest island. AGO.
that tho canoes kept = respectful
distance.
The MONDAY sun was Z torture. Il
beat down on the rocks and sand
like tho glare from Z furnace door.
There was not . square inch Of
shade on the island. not breath Of
air stirring. Their only relief was to
immerse themselves repeatedly in
the shadows and sprinkle water
around the shelter where Ralph lay.
fcopyrtsht. 1855. waliam b. xovsrv,
~. curs assides, Iuesdsy, 70 relieve
xne eauation ~ desp6rato neaa.