The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-01-13
Chapter 30
NEWS or 9oNYA

THE main band, Tenn-Og said
! had discovered the escape Of the
whites and had started north q
Karakhan's place to guard him
These six runners had been sent
south on the chance that they might
catch up with the whites and am
bush them.
Sonya was on her way north:
nothing 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
Lilluar, the Indian told him. He him.
self had once lived at that lake, al.
most ut the very place where the
white mans cabin now stood.
A week ago Curt would have con.
sidered that information priceless,
but now It meant little. In q general
way he did plan to return later and
make second attempt to get Karak-
han: but In all probability the Rus.
sian would be out OF the Lilluars
and gone BY that time.
He was nobody's fool: he Ger.
tainly had read the handwriting on
the wall. He had plane and plenty
Of gas for It, a. LeNoir's trading &C
count showed. The wearisome Job OF
following his trackless air path
would have to be done all over
again.
"How can you go back to your
people. Tenn-Og?" he asked. "Those
six are going to tell the others that
you were with us, helping Us"
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 vol
unfairly. Curt had felt that he stood
OF somehow from the other Klo-
sohees. His tones now and his ref
erence to the subject implied there
was some bitter personal feud be-
tween Siam.Klale and him.
The stories about the brutality IN
Siam.Klale's nature, made Curt
sharply uneasy about Sonya. She
was up in that country alone. in the
charge Of Indians who were COM
pletely under the thumb Of the sub
chief.
II he and the main band overlook
her party, he might seize her, brush
LeNoir aside. and disappear with her
somewhere in that unknown coun.
try. Once she reached Karakhan she
probably would be safe; but any one
Of . dozen accidents might inter-
vene to strand her IN those Wild
mountains and keep her from reach
Ing him.
AS the afternoon wore along. Z
perceptible change came over Ralph.
At first Curt could not decide what
the change BODIED: but % the signs
became more pronounced, he recog-
nised their grim meaning. He could
never get Ralph out, or even get to
the plane with him.
lust at twilight they reached the
= Iskitimwah mouth, having GOV.
cred In twenty-four hours stretch
Of river which had taken his party
four whole days On the mp trip. He
called . halt All need Of hurrying
had passed. and the bulIeting Of the
waves was causing Ralph intense
pain. The most they could do was
10 ease him for the little time that
remained.
Near tho tributary mouth they
went ashore on . pine island. the
Island Of black lilies, who're Curt
hal spent some dark hours once.
He did not recognise the place TIM
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 thrss Of them were stumbling
from exhaustion. On top Of the
heavy strain Of the dght and the
long day Of imprisonment. they had
had no sleep IN more than sixty
hours, and had Just finished Z tsrriAc
stretch Of canoe work 800 twice
around the clock without pause.
Curt made Paul and Tenn-og eat
. little food. and then took them Z
couple Of rods aside. "You two lie
down" he bads. "and get some rest.
IN our condition we're It Tor moth.
lng. and W don't know what's ahead
Of 10. I'll stay up with Ralph. ! can
DO everything that needs to b done.
God knows It's not much"
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