Show e e Lamp in th I l BY ARTHUR STRINGER W. W N. N U. U Service ci w Sidney Lender Leader Alaska mining engineer Is 15 engaged to Barbara Trumbull whose father Is contesting the mining claim of Carol Coburn Coborn teacher at Lander breaks with Trumbull Salaria Bryson also loves Lander She disappears CHAPTER I f When I wakened the next morning morning morning morn morn- ing I was puzzled by the scent of balsam close about me 1 I was equally equal equal- ly puzzled by the scolding of two Canada jays that hopped about a dwindled campfire beside which stood a skillet and a coffeepot Then I looked at the shoulder pack leaning leaning leaning lean lean- ing companionably against the balsam balsam balsam bal bal- bal bal- sam bed on which I lay and then out at the panorama of the snow- snow clad mountain peaks that sparkled in the morning sunlight It wasn't until I studied and recognized recognized rec rec- f the second blanket that covered covered covered cov cov- ered me against the morning chill that I was able to orient myself And then I remembered That tar tar- to lean-to belonged to Sock- Sock Eye And that second blanket belonged belonged belonged be be- longed to Sidney Lander And that stream which raced down between the gravel bars and silt beds of the valley bottom was Big Squaw Squa Creek It was running strong at the height of the summer thaw and as it tumbled tumbled tumbled tum tum- bled over bar and boulder I could hear the noise of its hurrying in the clear mountain air Then a second sound intruded on the morning quietness It was a faint and off far-off drone that grew stronger as it rose and fell with the vagaries of the breeze It became a throb of power a purposeful and electrifying throb that promptly took me out from beneath my blankets It took me scurrying down to the open cliff edge that overlooked the Big Squaw where the racing waters tore at the base of a cut bank There between the towering peaks I could see the small and plane that grew bigger as it came nearer sometimes dark and sometimes sometimes sometimes some some- times bright in the crystalline sunlight sunlight sunlight sun sun- light through which it I shouted and waved as it throbbed overhead for I knew it was Slim Downey and his ship The Tle solitude of a sudden seemed less oppressive I no longer worried worried worried wor wor- ried as to the whereabouts of my two camp mates For there above me defying time and space was an shuttle that could weave mountains and rivers together and carry us out of the wilderness But the plane went on without sign or signal And for a moment my heart sank Then I gave a little little little lit lit- tle cry of relief For I saw how the tilted wings were dropping lower banking and heading back into the breeze over the irregular silver expanse expanse expanse ex ex- ex- ex of Cranberry Lake And even before its pontoons heeled down on that surface of ruffled ruffled ruffled ruf ruf- ruf- ruf fled silver I remembered that Slim could come to a landing only on wa wa- ter And Cranberry Lake was the water that lay nearest the Chaki- Chaki 0 tana claim and the Big Squaw My first impulse at that happy discovery was to find Sidney and shout the good news to him He and Sock-Eye Sock I assumed were somewhere down along the claim limits probably checking up on measurements and monuments So SoI I moved out to the cliff edge scanning scanning scanning scan scan- ning the valley for some sign of life I even gave a gulp of gratitude at the thought that noonday would see us joining Slim and his waiting plane and night would see us whisked back to a world of men and women and orderly life My searching gaze coasted the valley bottom and then the opposing opposing I hill slopes and then the ing nearer broken ground through which the Big Squaw twined But I saw noth noth- ing I saw nothing until some som-e obscure sixth sense prompted me to turn and study the rock ridge along which I had edged my way out to the cliff front Slowly over the dark curve of that ridge I saw a hand appear and groping fingers feel for a hold there Then another hand showed itself followed by a body that qu quietly wormed its way up over overt t e crown I rI 1 thought at first it was SockEye Sock- Sock I Eye Eye But in that I soon knew I Iwas Iwas Iwas was mistaken For there was something something something some some- thing so malignant and in that crawling advance I felt it must be the movement of an enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my even before I caught sight of the short rifle trailing beside beside be be- side the flattened body At my instinctive cry of alarm that flattened figure abruptly lost its It dropped over I the ridge wall caught up the rifle and stood foursquare in front of me with a low laugh of derision I knew then it was Ericson And my blood chilled as I fell back step by step as he advanced He laughed again when he saw me come to the cliff edge where I could go no farther far far- ther He looked gaunt and harried and anda a little mad But what troubled me most was a snakelike air of fortitude about him the careless persistent persist persist- ent knowledge of some venomous power in reserve You cant can't get all the breaks bright eyes he said as he confronted confront confront- ed ed me with his crooked smile And the mockery in it the familiar old tone of flippancy still had the power power pow pow- er of sending a wave of nausea through my body What are you going to do I TILE THE STORY SO FARLander FARLander FAR FAU Lander finds Salaria She had Injured her herleg herleg herleg leg while hunting Barbara misinterprets the rescue and flings away her engagement ring Lander and Carol fly to scene of her claim Someone shoots at the plane Sock Sock Eye Eye old sourdough INSTALLMENT said ashamed of the quaver in my voice Still again Ericson laughed Solitude I felt had played tricks with his mind Im going to get what's coming to me he proclaimed after a quick but pointed survey of the valley below below below be be- low us And youre you're it Ive done nothing to you I cried trying to keep my hands from shaking Oh yes you have was his hate- hate embittered answer And more than once But I told old you I wouldn't always always always al al- al- al ways be the underdog And this deal Im I'm not His movement was quietly deliberate deliberate deliberate erate as he pumped his rifle Youre not going to kill me I gasped be too easy he an an- But its it's wise my dear to be ready for the unexpected Come here But this isn't human I cried It cant can't do yo you an any good It cant can't get you anywhere He cut those cries of protest short Come here he commanded with a new and deadlier sort of in- in I could feel my brain telling my feet to obey to take the steps demanded demanded demanded de de- de- de before that menacing small O 0 at the end of a rifle barrel could spit death in my face But my feet refused to move Come here repeated my enemy enemy enemy ene ene- my with a note of wildness in his voice Wait I called out foolishly I even more foolishly fell back a step or two in an instinctive retreat of fear And that my brain told me was a mistake For I could see the barrel end steady and the twist hate ed face press closer to the balanced gunstock I knew what was coming and I cried out without willing that cry as my body forlornly stiffened to receive receive receive re re- re- re its shock But through that call of helplessness helpless helpless- ness came a sharper sound a sharp bark that produced an incredibly abrupt change in the poised figure confronting me I saw the rifle fall I saw Ericson throw up his hands and suddenly twist about in a ludicrously ludicrously ludicrously ludi ludi- frantic half His hands were still above his head as his legs crumpled under him And for one uncertain second he balanced balanced balanced bal bal- on the cliff edge like a tight tight- walker rope-walker fighting for equilibrium on some fragile footway Then I saw the collapsed body tumble over the cliff edge It went sprawling and rolling along the steep cut bank until it struck the waters of the Big Squaw where the current caught it up and churned and tossed it with now an arm showing and now a leg along the white-water white course that twisted between its shouldering banks I was conscious of Sock-Eye Sock standing standing standing stand stand- ing at my side leaning almost nonchalantly nonchalantly nonchalantly non non- on his long rifle Hes dead I gasped staring at atthe atthe atthe the churning water course that had I swallowed up that receding tangle of limbs I had t git him announced Sock-Eye Sock or hed he'd got a-got you But you'd no right to shoot a aman aman aman man I cried still shaking from shock scarcely knowing what I was saying Sock-Eye Sock reached out and quietly pulled me back from the cliff edge Theres times girlie when a hombres hombre's got t make his own laws out here in the hills And this was friend of the did the shooting He thought It was a Trumbull plane Trumbull Trumbull Trum Trum- bull had planted Eric the Red at the scene for dirty work Sock Eye Informs them warningly And now comes the final threat one o 0 them times Im I'm thinking But you killed him I repeated leaning on the shaggy old shoulder beside me Sock-Eye's Sock laugh was low and mirthless but altogether untroubled That aint me none he said Any jury north o 0 Fifty- Fifty say that snake killed hiss elf My earlier sense of homelessness and helplessness swept back on me I knew a craving for security where no security was to be found Wheres Sidney I cried out in that tightening clutch of desolation I want Sidney Im here called Sidney's voice close behind me He was out of breath from his hurried climb up the hillside But there was steadiness steadiness steadiness ness in the arms which he clasped about my swaying body I could feel the throb of his heart and the subsiding panting of his lungs as he held me close to him And those quieting hammer throbs of strength slowly beat the terror of homelessness out of my own hammering hammering hammering ham ham- mering heart Dont leave me I said as my arms tightened about him Well Vell always be together after this he said His arms closed about me again and I shut my eyes as I felt his lips on my lips It was Sock-Eye's Sock voice that brought time and the world back to tome tome tome me again I reckon its it's a pot o 0 coffee you two need t steady you down a bit he observed And while Im I'm that jus' jus kind kindo o 0 remember theres there's a bush hawks hawk's still for you over t Cranberry Cranberry Cranberry Cran Cran- berry Lake It took Sidney a little time to come back to earth But he still clung to my hand And what'll you do he questioned questioned questioned ques ques- the old Head back to Back t f that mess o 0 misfits was Sock-Eyes Sock answer Not on your life Ive I've got me two burros l over in the next valley bottom and Im I'm goin a t mosey out t the open hills where I belong But you cant can't do that SockEye SockEye SockEye Sock- Sock Eye Sidney objected Youre going going going go go- ing to be needed before this is cleared up Sock-Eye Sock reached for his chewing Plug plumb cleared up aready he maintained And since you two finally made sure where your pay dirt lies and discovered discovered discovered dis dis- dis- dis covered how you was kind o 0 made for each other from the first crack the box I dont don't see no call for me lingerin around this neck o 0 the woods No sir Im I'm goin t tote me and my stuff back into them hills where a man kin work a tom tom- in peace I felt he was too old and spent for that sort of lone-fire lone adventuring through the valley bottoms of the North But there was something still gallant and intrepid about the shaggy figure as he stepped over to the taller man and placed a hand handon on the shoulder that stood almost as high as his own head Youve got a straight-shooter straight inthis in inthis inthis this gal of ol of Klondike Coburn's he solemnly asserted a danged sight you deserve And if you dont don't treat her right down the years that's left t you Ill I'll sure amble these hills and fill your carcass so full o 0 lead they'll be e you for a plumb bob THE END |