The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-01
Chapter 34
soNYA's PLEA

HE'LL get damned bad disap-
 pointment!" Curt was think ing grimly. "When that avalanche piles down we're going to be else. where!"
 The moment Sonya went he in tended to start Francois and Jocku back south and send Ralph along with them. By travelling at night and boling up during the day the three would get out to Russian Lake easily enough. That would free him self and Paul Taking nothing but rifles and light canoe. they would slip away from the island and be miles gone when LcNoir and his out. fit came calling. Up the Iilluar they would watch for Sonya to pass, then fall in behind her party and let her lead them to Karakhan.
 Through the open fap-front of Sonya's tent he could see her nov. ing about in the dim interior. mak- ing ready, he believed. to leave them that night He tried not to watch her, but his eyes kept stray. ing back. He could steel himself against her. le could scorn her. but indifference lay beyond his power. She had meant too much to him.
 In the tent Sonya was putting to gether a few personal articles for her trip, fully expecting LeNoir to come and take Ter away that mid night. Her unshakable purpose kept her steady. and after that long red trail from vetemsk to Drga the dan gers of this "Trip were not formidable enough to stop her; but the dark. ness settling down. the daunting Journey ahead and the terrible un. certainty at the end of it filled her with dread.
 BALANCING through the flap. she NJ saw Curt lay aside his rifle and start filling cartridge clips. evident ly getting ready for whatever might come. The safety of the party after she left worried her only a little; she had an implicit faith that Curt and Paul could take care of them selves against dozen like LeNolr and the sub-chief They would get back to safety and get Paiph back.
 She longed to step outside and talk with Curt. few last words. but she was afraid to. afraid he would cut her cold as be had been doing for the last four days. She was utterly bewildered by his atti. tude. his icy exaggerated politeness. his sudden and complete change to. ward her. Something had happened, that night of his return.
 She could not tathom the cause of his change. 1t couldn't be that he knew anything about her rendez- vous with LeNoir; she herself had seen him leaning against the rocks asleep, and Paul had been in his tent both before and after she went. And it couldn't be that Ralph had told him about her trip. Ralph pro tested earnestly that he had never dropped a hint nor had Curt ques- tioned him. Nk
 Whatever the reason. she felt that she had lost her best friend on earth. the one person whom she might have depended on to help her.
 When her light pack was made up. she buckled it. laid it aside and stepped over to the tent door. Curt was almost done with the clips. In minute or two he'd go up and join Paul. and she wouldn't get to see him again alone.
 For few moments she wavered, torn between her pride and the premptings of her heart. It might be that she had said or done some thing which had offended him and which she could smooth out. When she thought of his pleading Cant hope you do care-a little bit, sweet heart" 1t seemed impossible that he could care nothing at all now. May be she had 5eeI too Spartan with herself and with him on those two evenings.
 She put her pride in her pocket anl went out to him.
 Cant help you with those car tridges?" she proffered as an excuse to finger and talk.
 Very kind of you" Curt refused coldly. but if you haven't done this before you might load 'em back wards"
 Sonya wondered what he meant by that. His words carried some barbed meaning, just as he had uaauf nonaafhiu0 ctfnUfr, O uhaa ho