Evening star., 1933-12-25
CHAPTER xxx.
NEWS OF SONYA.

TINE main band, Tenn-Og said,
haL discovered the escape OF the
whites and had started north to
L Xarakhan's place to guard him.
These six runners had been sent
south on the chance that they might
catch up with the whites and ambush
them.
Sonya was on her way north; Moth
ing had been heard Of her since she
left with her three guides.
do you know where this white man
is hiding?" Curt asked Tenn-Og.
At the headwaters lake Of the Liluar.
the Indian told him. He himself had
once lived at that lake, almost at the
,eE, very place place where the white mans cabin
A week ago Curt would have con-
sidered that information priceless, but
now 1t meant little. In general way
he did plan to return later and make
a second attempt to get Karakhan; but
In all probability the Russian would be
out Of the Lilluars and gone by that
time.
He was nobody's fool; he certainly
had read the handwriting on the wall.
He had a plane and plenty Of gas for
1t, as lie Noir's trading account showed
The wearisome Job Of following his
trackless air path would have to be
done all over again.
How can you 60 back to your people,
Tenn-Og?" he asked. Those six are
going to tell the others that you were
with us, helping U.s."
With a grunt and shrug Tenn-Og
stated that he did not care whether he
went back or not. He was almost an
outcast now, he said, because Of SIAM
Klale.
Ever since his talk with Tenn-Og that
first night. when the Indian gave him
SO much information voluntarily, Curt
had felt that he stood of somehow from
the other Klosohees. His tones now and
his reference to the subject implied
there was some bitter personal feud be-
tween Siam-Klale and him.
The stories about the brutality in
Siam Klales nature, made Curt sharply
that country alone, in the charge Of
Indians who were completely under
the thumb of the subchief.
If he and the main band overlook
her party, he might seize her, brush
LIE Noir aside. and disappear with her
somewhere in that unknown country.
Once she reached Karakhan she prob
ably would be safe: but any one OF a
dozen accidents might intervene to
SLIdI1o ner IflCSG W1lO mountains ana
keep her from reaching him.
AS the afternoon wore along. a per-
ceptible change came over Ralph. At
first Curt could not decide what the
change BODIED; but as the signs became
more pronounced, he recognized their
grim meaning. He could never get
Ralph out, or even get to the plane
with him.
Just at twilight they reached the
Iskitimwah mouth, having covered in
"a hours a stretch of river which had
taken his party four whole days on the
up trip. He called halt. AL need of
hurrying had passed. and the buffeting
Of the waves was causing Ralph intense
pain. The most they could do was
to ease him for the little time that re-
mained.
Near the tributary mouth they went
ashore on a pine island. the island Of
black lilies, where Curt had spent some
dark hours once. He did not recognize
the place till they had landed. and
then he would not change. Inland at
messy spot they spread the sleeping
robes and carried Ralph there and laid
him down.
All three Of them were stumbling
from exhaustion. On top Of the heavy
strain OF the fight and the long day of
imprisonment, they had had no sleep
in more than so hours. and had just
finished terrific stretch of canoe work
twice around the clock without a
pause
Curt made Paul and Tenn-Og eat a