Show 4 0 by LO I 1 G 0 service nam SYNOPSIS TUB THE BO 80 FAM running away from rom marriage to ned paxton rich but ft a say fay blade janice trent becomes ieca tary in an ain alaska wilderness camp over the protest of druco bruce harcourt 1 a long lone time friend arlend bruce li Is chief engineer succeeding JOB 0 hale deposed for or gone fence millicent hale bale his wife li Is also alia attracted t to itryce janice janace tells ned paxton shoo the li Is married to harcourt the tha latter overa overhear mrs her ber and insists on an am imm immediate e adisto marriage the newlyweds newlywed are interrupted at home that night by mrs mr vale who says her husband hai bits been shot hot dead she exclaim it you had bad only waited bruce bruce spends the night investigating the murder when jimmie chetter chester Milli cents brother runs rung off in a plant plane bruce brings him back in the meantime ned 1 laston invites I 1 this ui women to big hi yacht janice and ana he be and two natives leave in a launch to VI view a volcano closer suddenly it oto copti tw th the 0 boat is I 1 stranded on a lonely beach now continue with tho the tofy sty CHAPTER XVI an uncanny bowl from somewhere wand inland rose to crescendo slid did into diminuendo and died away that the teeth of one of the pilots visibly and audibly chattered as he an paxton that a wolf cry yes sirree smoke an lire fire drive dem to shore doy day no lak ink fire not much ever come odor oder time hunters como come here shack up by trees Pax tons voice showed strain youve clung to your camera I 1 see we may wish it were something to eat before we got get through there are two cans of crackers iq in the launch all it if only this internal infernal smoke would lift wed get back to the yacht the men were right theres the shack Ja danices nices heart went into a tailspin on a little hill a spur on the side of tile the mountain sagged a cabin of warped weather beaten boards sho she know how long the she and paxton stood there staring at the distant hut lie ho wheeled at sound of the put put of an engine starting with a startled oath ho he ran back to the writers waters edge janice stumbled after him As they reached it the stern of the launch vanished into the mist come bacal come back pox pax ton shouted only the fading throb of the engine responded ile ho drew hla his revolver and tired into the air As though in answer a wild wail was relayed by echo after echo through the woods janice caught his arm lier her voice came raggedly ned I 1 save your ammuel tion remember that ghostly ghastly howl A shower of hot stones pelted belted the man and virl girl rain splashed come on jan wed better make tor for that shack while the going Is fairly good ill bet it leaks me a stove sieve but it will be some borne protection those internal infernal quitters threw out a can of crackers ill take that long along ile picked up the tin they passed great patches of blue lupin wild raspberry bushes higher than Ja danices nices head clawed at her wet clothing as though to direct attention to the dead ripe fruit hanging banging in maroon clusters she gathered handfuls carried them in her bar hut hat which she had lined with a damp but spotless handkerchief the woods rustled with the motion of unseen vt life A porcupine rattled across the trail ahead an otter swam down stream two mart martens ens scuttled into a tangle of brush A fox trotted by stopped one foot raised looked back before he dashed oft off as though pursued by furies A fat ptarmigan rose with a whiz which sent jan ices heart into her mouth A few blood thirsty mosquitoes buzzed about her head before drifting smoke sent them winging did everything ery thing living feel the pervading imminence of danger Pax tons eyes were inscrutable as they mot met Ja danices nices something about the grimness of his mouth set her heart thumping ile he waved his hand toward the hut lets investigate I 1 have hav a a hibit I 1 was trained by an old tea sea dog never to leave the ship without a flash a gun and matches lie ize pulled an electric torch from an inside pocket of his soaked blue coat its glow revealed a room high enough for a man a tall man to stand upright without hitting hla his head hand A bunk against one wall was heaped with dried boughs of spruce A loose jointed pipe one end poking through the roof acted as smoke conductor between a rusty and the outer world A degenerate chair and a rickety stool kept dissolute company A table whose legs sprawled outward like those at 0 a teetering newborn new born call calf supported two tallow streaked betties and a dirty pack of cards A rusty kettle and a trying frying pan burned black hung from a crude shelf against the wall leaned an axe with H 1 long handle and nicked blade paxton snapped a gold lighter aft or er several futile attempts he sue suc ceedee in producing a small flame which he applied to a candle stub in one bottle wo we will save our matches for the fires my knowledge of camping Is all laboratory stuff no field work but I 1 know enough tor for that thy thy hung over the table breathlessly till the wick caught and a flickering flame set ghoulish shadows astir on the walls paxton 16 I 1 V ilk i she took careful airn fired snapped off the electric torch laid his revolver on the shaky table a card of matches beside it those must be kept dry think you can start the ahro in the stove while I 1 collect brush for a signal to the yacht wrecked on a desert is land stuff ile ho flung his wet blue coat over the chair back axe in hand he smiled at her from the threshold good but not good enough did ho he think the she know that the outside fire was more to keep off ma animals than to signal the bout boat that she had forgotten those banshee howls she steadied her lips and smiled back bach nt at him this last hour had aged him unbelievably it had set deep crows feet at tho the comers of his eyes etched lines between his nose and lips except for war service all his luxurious life he had find played hard and worked little ills his once onca immaculate buckskin shoes oozed mud his soaked white flannel trousers were crisscrossed criss crossed with black lines where wet shrubs had lashed at him little green rivulets sponsored by his necktie were cavorting down the front of the silk shirt which was plastered to his body ills his eyes with a laugh in their blue depths met hers 1 I dont like the suggestion of criticism of my appearance in your expression youre not so hot yourself the liking she had felt fait for him during tho the first weeks of their acquaintance which had named into love or fascination crumbled into gray ashes of doubt and distrust stole back it wormed warmed her voice im a sight I 1 feel like a rag doll which has been left out in the rain she heard the crackle of brush under his feet she lifted a rusty cover from the stove her thoughts raced ou on as sho she laid a fire of dry leaves and brush billy and druce bruce had taught her woodcraft when they had taken her with them on their fish ing expeditions it only bruce were with her instead of ned paxton she struck a match to escape the memory which sether sot her heart pounding unbearably she watched the dry leaves ignite before sho she clapped on tho the rusty cover she listened the fire roared had alad she put in too much fuel how flow the pesky thing smoked she wiped her smarting eyes as aa she hinted tor for a damper her throat stung it was humiliating not to be ba able to start a dinky little five fire but she would have to ask ned to hel help p she stepped to the entrance far air what was that good grieff what was that behind the tree near him A dog A gray dog A dogs eyes bo be green A what was hi aging from the creatures cruel mouth clotel A piece niece of plaid cloth caught on one yellowed fang Sicken ingi she tried to call a warning her tongue dried to the roof of her mouth her body prickled with horror the animal took a stealthy step toward the man on the stump stopped not a muscle rippled under its skin ned would have no chance to save himself eyes on thy the motionless creature janice backed to the table seized the revolver on the doorsill she dropped to one knee dyl ne remember member jimmys in she warned herself she took careful aim fired man and beast leaped simultaneously the wolf soundlessly slunk into tho the shadows paxton ran toward her caught her shoulder shook her why in heavens name did you do that she steadied trembling lips it was a wolf just back of you he hc he was watching you I 1 thought though tI I 1 thought she dropped her head in her hands shuddered tui uncontrollably controllably A you shot him 1 I shot at him there was a touch of hysteria in her laugh im not too good god well have the whole pack down on us indignation steadied Ja danices nices nerves as no commendation would havo have done 1 I call that darned ungrateful you would nave been torn to shreds it I 1 fired why you yell belll I 1 was dumb with horror I 1 came to the door to ask you to help with the stove saw that terrible creature moving toward you and fired lie he loosened the fingers still clutching the revolver laid it on the table did you care when you thought me in danger janice her heart flow flew to her throat blue eyes aflame could bo be more terrifying than fierce green eyes carol you care it if you saw a human being in peril of his me life the smoke stifling cant you do something to stop icv it 1 I ile ho coughed sneezed wiped his eyes the matter with the infernal thing lids half shut tears marking grimy furrows down his cheeks he poked about tho the stove tears brimming from her smarting eyes janice tried to help ile ha shook what seemed to bo be a damper the portion of the pipe which pierced the root roof fell with a clatter which set her already taut nerves twanging like strings under the fingers of an impassioned virtuoso A vicious orange red tang fang shot from the standing smokestack smoke stack stock licked at the rotting branches of the root roof damp as they were they ignited fire ran from twig to twig the man and girl stared incredulously weve done it bowl quick out of paxton pushed her to the door caught up the revolver as he dashed by the table janice grabbed her camera snatched the tin of crackers As they lumped jumped to the mossy log she heard the crackle of wood tho the walls of the tha shack were on fire side by side aide they watched the lurid light inside ricker nicker flame wane heat poured out as through the door of a furnace janice turned her back im thoroughly toasted on one side aide I 1 an ill wind etc it would have taken hours before an ordinary fire alro to dry our clothes what la Is the next feature on this peppy program it ought to be an bounced over a coast to coast hook book up Pax tons eyes shone blue and clear in his smoke grimed face janice youre the best sport I 1 in n the world you set a great pace ile he steadied his voice the fires dying down well have a warm charred shack at our backs that will be some protection protection from what she hated herself tor for the terrified catch in her voice from prowlers you heard the native pilot say that the volcano smoke would drive animals to the water they will come down the bed of this thin brook from the interior hours passed hours filled with nerve racking suspense listening listening for the sound of a boat which did not come with the drip of rain the pelt of hall flash ef ct lightning and detonations deto nations of thunder janice dropped to the mossy log in front of the shack which gave out an acrid odor of smoldering wood paxton carefully laid a heap of brush beside him as he dropped wearily to the log the fire had died down to red coals lie he opened a gold cigarette case one left he snapped it shut glad you dont smoke otherwise I 1 would have to sn sacrifice that on the a itar altar of chivalry any crackers she drew one grimy piece from her pocket tho the last she nodded put it back I 1 have indulged in too many calories already ill lose my boyish figure if I 1 dont watch out that what mat where janice gripped his sleeve pointed two lambent green dots glowed between low alders with a muttered imprecation paxton threw on the pitifully inadequate pile of brush beside him the firc re flared ared the sinister minister points of light retreated A howl tore through the distance from near at band the bloodcurdling blood curdling wall wail was answered paxton rose swiftly im going tor for more wood where you it sate safe TO BEV BE CONTINUED |