The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-11-23
Chapter Ten
QUICK ACTION


 TSkOM time to time Sonya glanced \ west at the looming storm. Streaked by snaky lightning, the black thunderheads had cut off the lingering afterglow of the sun. Be s tween herself and the wooded part ' of the island stood clump of life less pines, lifting their gaunt arms to the sky.
 It seemed to Sonya that all the innumerable Swallows which she had seen tilting and volleying over the lake that evening had gathered '' on those dead pines to sleep, for the branches looked fuzzy with them. and their faint twittering sounded like the purling of stream.
 She Tipped out the butterfly for a last time. Something struck it, struck hard. The reel spun, her light rod tugged and whipped. Be- ! bind her at the woods edge a stealthy figure slunk out to the 2 clump of pines, but Sonya's atten- tion was all given to the fight on her hands, and she did not notice.
 Not until she had reefed in the struggling seven-pounder did she become alive to her danger. She had seen nothing, heard nothing, but she sensed that she was no long CT alone, and she whirled around.
 Against the lighter background of the water she saw mans head and shoulders between two of the dead pines.
 In a flash she understood his in- tention; understood why he had fol- lowed her from the post and sneaked ashore so stealthily and ut her off from her canoe. Panic seized her, and the fishing rod dropped from her hands.
 For a moment she was over whelmed by her desperate plight. 1, the post so far away. those thunder heads drawing the curtain of night across the sky, and herself alone on the island with that man wonder. z With great effort she fought down her panic and made herself 7 think. It wouldn't do any good to plead with him; he was one of those drunken shameless camp hangers ! on. She had no weapon to fight him 2 with, and in a physical struggle he z could crush her one-handed. Her only chance was to outwit him some how and get to her boat. CHE let her creel and net lie, but C picked up her rod again and :. stepped back off the narrow tongue of rock where he had almost cor nered her.
 The man moved away from the pines and came nearer. He was. lurching unsteadily. Sonya noticed She believed she stood a good chance to elude him, rush to her. canoe and get 1t af1oat before he could catch her. In order to have a strip of open sand for her dash she moved toward the landwasn.
 "You t'ink you run way, heinp the man taunted in a drunker chuc- kle. Huh, dat canoe of your. she all cut op to de debbil! I slash her so you no get way. Me. wise-no? You and me. we stay here on dis leetle islam"
 Sonya's heart stopped beating. Her canoe, down the landwash- he'd found it, wrecked it! She was caught, as helpless as creature in . trap.
 On beyond the pines two shadowy figures unexpectedly appeared out of the darkness of the spruces. Son "a thought they were confederates- of the breed. Without a seconds hesitation she whirled toward the : water edge. She could hardly swim 2 d stroke, but rather than remain ! there with those three she meant to strike out for the nearest island, two hundred yards away. A sharp voice called to the breed, tAI say, fellow, what the devil d'you think you're doing here?" A The voice stopped Sonya in her tracks. "Oh-ooi" It was a word less cry of thankfuIness. She peered at the two figures as they came on. Strangers they were. And that .aharp commanding voice was strange too. They must be the two prospectors who had come to Rus sian Lake that evening.
 The breed jerked around and stared blankly at the pair. With his brain all muddled by liquor. he did not understand at first this sudden turn to things. But 1t did dawn on hin, 0nsffv Caiqht dead to rights,