The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1934-01-11
Chapter AZ
THE MEErIrA

Chapter az
THE MEETIfA
CONYA made herself stop thinking
- of anything beyond tomorrow
morning. She would need all her
strength and poise for her meeting
with Karakhan. 1t would be fatal
to brood about the future and let 1t
innerve 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
I out to her and Carl. and recalled
winter nights in the Lena Woods
when the three of them had lain
huddled together, without fire or
shelter. listening for enemies and
watching the consultations swing
around the pole star.
Now he and Carl were gone. and
under the far-northern Canadian
sky she was watching those con.
stellations alone, Dead. he and Carl,
her .nenfolk who had been all the
world TO her--she dared not let her.
self think OF them as dead. for II
was only recently that rhe had
pulled herself out OF the black bot.
tomless tragedy OF their deaths and
found heart to go on living.
Karakhan was reading batch Of
month.old newspapers that mid.
night when the three runners came
into his cabin with LeNoirs report.
The moment he heard about the
escape 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 LeNoir relayed-that those
two had fed south and the main
band was coming north as Q guard
treasured him not at all.
Sharpened by twenty years Of
keeping ahead Of the law. his intui.
tion told him 1t was time to 90.
That fellow Ralston had charmed
life.
He wavered over what to dc
about Sonya. On Helen Mathieson,
or any OF the others. he would not
have wasted a thought: but Sonya
volkov stood out by herself. one Of
the rare personalities OF his life
time. In the last few days he had
been thinking OF her TIL she had be
come a madness in his blood: and
all the clamorous impulses within
him rebelled at the thought OF ieav
ing her there.
She would go along with him will
ingly: her passionate letter left nc
doubt that she would follow him te
the worlds end. On the swift flight
10 Mexico she would be an impedi
ment. 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 gill. But the risl
was slight. his burden would be
precious burden. and when he got te
Mexico he would have her there with
him!
After throwing his personal ct
tects into a DUNE bag. he went down
to the hangar. turned the SpsedaiI
so that It headed iakeward: ane
united all the mooring ropes except
one slip-hitch around q pontoor
brace. Once he started to make bis
getaway: It would be distinctly
wise to go in hurry.
He wanted to be skimming GU
upon the lake. beyond canoe ans
rife reach. before his intention
burst upon LeNoir and Siam Klaie
They we're going to turn ugly vheT
tEey realized he was escaping ant
citing them hold the sack.
The Speedair was so vital to hin
that be ordered pair Of Klosohees
two OF his bodygnard whom be eouls
trust. to stay there at the hanga
and guard the ship. 1t was Jus
possible that LeNoir might suspec
hin OF wanting to escape and nigh
Try TO cripple the plane.
Al dawn. when the ten canoe
came swinging around the timt-sres
headiand. he was standing on tn,
log pier. waiting. Strung out 10
several hundred yards. the notill'
skirlsd up along the shore towars
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