Evening star., 1933-12-28
CHAPTER XIII.
THE MEETING.

and let it unnerve her. The future must
take care of itself
All that day her thoughts had been
running on her father; and now, on
the trip up the dark river they came
back to him, and she tried to feel that
he was with her in, spirit. watching
over her safety again as he had done
during that white Siberian Winter.
AS she looked above the tree tops and
saw the Sacred w hanging in the
northeast sky she remembered the
long-ago evening in distant lrkutsk
when he had first pointed it out to
her and Carl. and recalled WINTER
nights in the Lena Woods Wnen the
three OF them had lain huddled to-
gether, without fire or shelter, listening
for enemies and watching the constella-
tions swing around the pole star.
Now he and Carl were gone. and
under the Far Northern Canadian sky
she was watching those consultations
alone. Dead, he and Carl. her men
folk. who had been all the world to her
she dared not let herself think OF
them as dead, for it was only recently
that she had pulled herself out of the
black. bottomless tragedy of their deaths
and found heart to go on living.
Karakhan was reading batch OF
month-old newspapers that midnight
when the three runners came into his
cabin with LIE Noir'S report.
The moment he heard about the es-
cape of RalSton and his partner, he
made up his mind to get away IN his
plane as soon as he had light enough
for flying. The reinsurance which LIE
NOir relayed-that those two had fed
South and the main band was coming
North as a guard-reaSSured him not
al all.
sharpened by 20 years OF keeping
ahead of the law, his intuition told
him it was time to go. That fellow
Ralston had a charmed life.
He Wavered over what to do about
Sonya. On Helen Mathieson. or any of
the others, he would not have wasted
q thought; but Sonya Volkov stood out
by herself, one of the rare personalities
OF his lifetime. In the last few days
he had been thinking Of her till she
had become a madness in his blood
and all the clamorous impulses within
him rebelled at the thought of leaving
her there.
She would go along with him will
.ngly, her passionate letter lett no doubt
that she would follow him to the worlds
end. On the swift flight to Mexico she
would be an impeachment, true enough
an extra person would cut down the
gas load, and inquisitive officials along
the coast might ask questions. since
he would be flying with a girl. But the
risk was slight, his burden would be a
precious burden. and when he got to
Mexico he would have her there with
him!
After throwing his personal effects
into a duffle bag. he went down to the
hangar turned the Speedair so that it
headed lakeward. and united all the
mooring ropes except one Slip-hitch
around pOntOon brace. Once he start
Ell to make his getaway, it would be
distinctly wise to 60 in hurry.
He wanted to be skimming out upon
the lake, beyond canoe and rifle reach,
before his intention burst upon LIE Noir
turn ugly when they realized he was
escaping and letting them hold the
sack.
The Speedair was so vital to him that
he ordered pair of Klosohees, two of
his bodyguard whom he could trust, to
stay there at the hangar and guard
the ship. 1t was just possible that LIE
Noir might suspect him of wanting to
escape and might try to cripple the
plane.
At dawn, when the 10 canoes came
swinging around the timbered headland,
he was standing on the log pier, wait
ing. Strung out for several hundred
yards, the flotiIla skirled up along the
shore toward him until at last, with
pulses hammering, he picked out Sonya
in LIE Noir's craft
LIE Noir Stroked his canoe in front of
the others and nosed in to the land
ing. Sonya rose up, swaying slightly to
the rocking of the water Karakhan
reached her hand, clasped it, helped
her step up on the logs.
"SOnya" He greeted her in their
native tongue. You have really come
I haven't quite believed it until now!"
Sonya's clear eyes looked at him
steadily. She did not respond to the
pressure of his hand. Yes. I've come"
she said in an even voice. I'm glad
to meet you again
Karakhan was disappointed-and
puzzled. Her greeting had none of the
passion of her letter. But perhaps it
was only her natural ShyneSs before
LIE Noir and the Indians.
you're tired" he said, with a show
Of solictude. He could not take his eyes
from her-the golden softness of her
hair, the loveliness of her face and
throat Come up with me to the cabin.
I've a breakfast of sorts ready for you"
He lowered his voice, though none OF
his listeners knew a sentence Of Rus
sian Then we're leaving here. I'M
nediately. Ill explain. dearest, when
we're alone and a thousand versts from
this place"
AS they walked up the footpath to the
cabin, he grew more and more disap-
pointed any myStified by Sonya's atti-
tude. This meeting with her was not
as he had expected. She seemed even
colder and more distant than in Vic
toria, when he had so dismally failed
OF a conquest
Inside the cabin he took her forcibly
into his arms and kissed her. thinking
it would break down her shyness. Sonya
turned her face away, and he felt her
whole body stiffen-at the mere con-
tact with him, it seemed.
What's wrong. Sonya?" he demand
ed. You don't appear at all glad" He
was impatient with her coldness and
utter lack of response.
Sonya freed herself, without answer
ing She stepped over to the rough
block table and behind it, so that it
stood between her and Karkhan. With
q glance about the room and a glance
at the Indians outside, she confronted
him.
It's been long trail from Victoria
here" she said; dropping the last pre-
tense of friendlineSS. And it was a
long hunt before that, to get my first
trace Of where you'd gone. When I
look back. it seems as though I've had
one continuous miracle of luck in find
ing you. But that's past. I'm here"
Karakhan stared Wide-eyed at her,
with all his ardor forSaking him He
saw, at last, that her coldness was no
girlish make-b believe but a dead ear
nestness. The expression in her eyes
made him suddenly afraid.
Your conqueStS with women have
r1aA
"that you can't imagine any woman
not falling in love with you, and so
when you get letter from one that
called you Beloved when she meant
You white beast you swallowed the
hook and sent your man to bring her