Lug

About the Book

Aging geologist Angus McKinnon finds a baby Asian yeti, Lug, and takes him back to Oregon to rear. Lug is quite intelligent. He learns simple speech, several games, enjoys music, but becomes dangerous when mature.

Angus seeks help with Lug by flying him to a Zoology convention. The plane is blown off course into Mexico and runs out of fuel. He comes down inside a cloudy, wet, garden-like volcanic upthrust and is marooned.

Also on the plane is a tree-climbing kangaroo from Australia sent to Angus by an old colleague, Henry Stoddard. He wants Angus to take the strange animal to the convention hoping it will be identified as a new species. This creature is important in the story.

Jerry Worthington, a young, impetuous geologist, sees the unusual volcanic formation from his company's helicopter. His insatiable curiosity compels him to go there alone. He Jeeps across desert country, climbs the protrusion and meets a nasty surprise.

Lug, to Jerry's astonishment, knows and loves the game of chess. They play and Jerry realizes he must lose or die under Lug's hideous teeth and hands. Jerry learns that Lug killed and devoured three others who came to the tower. The revolting animal gloats about eating Angus' body after he died.

McKinnon wrote a journal about Lug's development that Jerry reads as the story progresses.

Maria Hernandez, Jerry's fiancée, senses he is in desperate trouble and goes to the cloud tower to help him. Does she succeed?

About the Author

Native Coloradoans, Lloyd Keith (Longmont born, 1923), and sweetheart, Flora (Windsor born, 1924), graduated from Windsor High School in 1942. They married in 1944 and had three boys and two girls. The family greatly enjoyed outdoor activities: bicycling, hiking, camping, fishing, bowhunting and skiing.

In high school Keith lettered in football. He made his own equipment for the latter three sports above.

In WWII he served in the U. S. Army's 66th. Infantry Division. Keith swam to survive the nighttime torpedoing and sinking of the Belgian troopship, “Leopoldville”, Christmas Eve, 1944, five miles off Cherbourg, France. 763 infantrymen of the 2,335 aboard perished—the worst ever loss of American ground troops due to naval enemy action.

From the immersion and a later combat wound he was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Bronze Star.

On the GI bill Keith attended Colorado State University and obtained the Bachelor of Science Degree. He taught for 29 years in public schools, developed and taught extension and summer courses for CSU.

He is a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the 66th. Infantry Black Panthers Association, the Disabled American Veterans, the Colorado Industrial Arts Association and belongs to the American Association of Retired Persons, the National Education Association, and the Colorado Education Association.

Upon retirement the Keiths traveled extensively in their RV. Now aged 84, Keith still enjoys walking nine holes of golf. He designs and creates fine furniture in his complete garage woodshop.