Evening star., 1933-12-21
CHAPTER XXXV.
DEPARTURE.

SlOOO up gave ONNAy
his hand to rise. AS his glance
met hers he saw tears in her
~ eyes, saw her lips trembling
"All right. Curt" she said
quietly, with a humility that shamed
him. She glanced down at the ground
started to say something more, checked
herself and turned away to her tent.
He thrust the clips into his pocket
and walked up to the little stone fort
which he and Paul had rolled to-
gether. Paul was carefully inspecting
it and plugging chinkS so that no ar
rows could sift through. They did not
count on having to use the defense; but
their situation was delicate, lie NOR was
a crafty fellow. and it was wise 10
guard against the Unforeseen
was sitting at the water edge OCCASION
ally drawing in fish on the hand-hne
he was holding He looked lonely and
Sonya had really told him the truth
about her trip. Ralph was an unselfish
soul, but to bring the girl he loved into
that country and help her join another
man seemed a bit too self-effacing even
for him. Probably she had spun him
some lie.
AS he brought Paul an extra rock
he was startled by the low. quavering
call of an owl 600 yards out upon the
lake. He dropped the rock, stood listen
ing. LIE Noir? 1t couldn't be; the red
star was nearly two hours high. But
then the call came again, no nearer but
louder; and he distinctly caught the
falsetto quality of it.
"Well! 1t is LIE Noir. Paul! He's come
early for her"
Paul NODDED. Eyes, it's he. SIAM
Klale and he must want to get the
whole business over with tonight"
They crouched down behind the rocks
and waited. Curtis eyes were upon the
tent. where Sonya world come out. He
had not imagined that her going would
be an ordeal, he had even thought he
would take savage pleasure in being
free of her for good; but now when she
actually was leaving, it seemed mpoS-
Sible to let her go.
When she stepped outside the tent
and looked around cautiously to see
where Paul and he were, he rose up,
overwhelmed by the impulse to go down
there and keep her from leaving
Paul checked him, took part OF the
burden of decision upon himself.
Don't, partner! You'd be sorry. Let
her leave She'll be in no danger. Re-
member, we are following her and can
see that she gets safely out"
Sonya hurried on down the Island.
In the owl dusk her slender form grew
fainter and fainter till Curt no longer
saw her. A canoe grated on the pea
gravel as she tugged at the craft to get
it afloat. A dark blur moved away from
shore. Curt covered his face with his
hands to shut out the sight of it. When
he looked up again, the blur was gone.
Paul touched his arm, moments after
ward.
l. !, a1co IN O N
hour from now. This island is going to
have visitors"
Curt pulled himself together. eyes,
we'd better CO." he said jerkily We'll
take what We need of our outfit and get
away to one of these other islands, and
then split up"
Francois and Jocku haven't come
back"
barely visible in the deep dusk. 1t just
then occurred to him that he had not
heard the guides shoot. Their silence
was strange; they had been gone long
enough to make two such trips.
He hurried to the lower end, launched
the remaining canoe and darted down
lake. A few rods offshore he called in
a guarded voice:
'Jocku! You and Francosis get out
of there. Come alive! We haven't any
time to waste"
No answer came back His voice sent
the little band of caribou tearing
through the swamp birch to the other
side Of the island. but neither Francois
nor Jocku answered.
The explanation dawned on him with
a crash. He remembered, too late, that
the guides had sat off by themselves
all day, talking in low tones: and that
Jocku had acted queerly when he came
to make his request. Now he saw
through the whole ruSe. Their trips
after a caribou had been a scheme to
secure a canoe and get away. Those
two had deserted!
He Whirled the canoe around and
started back to camp, swearing at the
evil luck that dogged every step he
took The treachery of those natives
was little short of disaster He had
counted heavily on them to take Ralph
back South; and now they had sneaked
away, the pair of towards, and Nichols
was left on his hands. If he and Paul
We're encumbered with Ralp on their
swift shadowy trip, they would not
stand ghost Of chance.
Before he had gone very far he heard
a rifle shot down stream. He stopped
short. listened. A mile south. down
where the river narrowed to bottle
neck, a furry of shots sounded. The
dull thud OF the guns was unmlStaKaDle
the heavy bear WincheSters of Jocku
and Francois. Those two guides were
in trouble: they'd run into an ambush!
One of the WincheSterS suddenly
stopped. The other shot four times
more Then, family in the taut silence,
a long-drawn yell waited up river, more
a scream than any articulate word
Piercing, vibrant with terror, it sent
shivers through Curt. 1t was mans
death cry.
All his anger changed to heartfelt
pity. Poor devils!" he said softly.
They got it. The KloSoheeS had a
party at that narrows, to cut us off If
We tried to break away"
He whipped on ashore. goaded by the
memory of that cry. Paul had heard 1t,
too, and knew what it meant. Work
ing swiftly. they made ready to leave.
They left the tents standing, abandoned
most Of the supplies and all the heavier
things; took nothing but guns, blankets
and food for few days
Garry this stuff to the canoe" Curt
directed. "Ill go get Ralph"
AS he hurried up the island, he tried
to figure how he might salvage some
thing out of the wreckage of his plans.
miles up some tributary river where the
Klosohees were not likely to come, and
secrete him in some cave, with food and
camp necessities, to be picked up later