yank buffer in gnus

[Allan Adler <ara@nestle.csail.mit.edu>]

The n key on my laptop is broken and I am trying to manage with
emacs commands and cut and paste. In reading gnus in emacs, with
all the groups displayed, I sometimes will type something like

ctrl-s misc.consumers

to place myself at the group misc.consumers, but without the n key,
I can only type

ctrl-s misc.co

To add the n in emacs, I use ctrl-k to put an n in the yank buffer and
yank it out when I need it. If I try to do this while I am in gnus, with
all the groups displayed, instead of adding the n after the o, it will
add the name of the group on whatever line the cursor is on.

So, being in the buffer of groups and trying to use the minibuffer to search
somehow deprives me of the ability to recover the n from the yank buffer.

When I leave gnus or when I actually post something or send email, the
yanked n works fine.

How can I get emacs to yank the n while I'm trying to type

ctrl-s misc.consumers ?
-- 
Ignorantly,
Allan Adler <ara@zurich.csail.mit.edu>
* Disclaimer: I am a guest and *not* a member of the MIT CSAIL. My actions and
* comments do not reflect in any way on MIT. Also, I am nowhere near Boston.