Triple Spies

ons Arabs. In his dream he slept by night on the burning sand, with only a silken canopy above him. In his dream he had awakened with a sense of impending

or three days. But the waste they crossed was a waste of snow. His companions were natives-who like the Arabs, lived a nomadic life. Their steeds the swift footed reindeer, their tents the ig

nguage they spoke, lived a romantic life. Johnny had entered into this life with all the zest of youth. True, he had found himself very awkward in many things and had been set aside wit

t the shoulders of the deer and tied together with a leather thong, took the place of both collar and hames of other harnesses. From the bottom of these hames ran a broad strap of leather. This, passing between both the fore and hind legs of the deer, was fastened to the sled. A second broad strap was passed around the deer's body directly behind the fore legs. This held the pull

lt short, broad and low. This prevented many a spill, for as Johnny soon learned, the reindeer is a cross between a burro and an ox in his disposition, and, once he has scented a rich bed of mo

he deer go more slowly. This really being the signal for greater speed, the deer had bolted across the tundra, at last spilling Johnny and his load of Chukche plunder over a cutbank. This procedure did not please the Ch

anorama. To the right lay the frozen ocean, its white expanse cut here and there by a pool of salt water pitchy black by contrast with the ice. To the left lay the mountains extending as f

, when these had been righted, had spread the long haired deerskin robes, which were to serve as the inner lining of the shelters, hair side out, which was also wrong. He had once more been relegated to the background. This time he had not cared, for it gave him an opportunity to study his fellow travelers.

y, he gave himself over to the study of these strange nomads. Their dress was a one-piece suit made of short haired deer skins. Men, women and children d

aw. Reindeer meat was stewed in copper kettles. Hard tack was soaked in water and mixed with reindeer suet. Tea from the ever present Russian tea kettle and seal oil from

his own igloo and hers. Not five hours before he had hewn away a hard bank of snow and built there a shelf for his bed. When his igloo was completed he had erected a second not many feet aw

g was going to happen. There was something altogether mysterious about the actions of these Chukches, esp

s misgivings and was on his guard. They had come in contact with

ell for my transportation. They sold their reindeer to the American arm

him like a dark cloud. He could not sleep.

ed. He listened and thought he heard it again, this time more distinctly, as if the person were approaching his igloo. A chill crept up and down his spine. His right hand invo

tent-flaps, pause for a breath, then stealthily lift the deer skin curtain. A st

gns of life abroad at that hour of night-a

barask. Johnny had seen him in an eating place, and had had an opportunity to study him without being observed. The man, he concluded, although a total stranger in these parts, was a person of consequence, a leader of some sort, accustomed to being obeyed. There seemed a brutal certainty about the way he ordered the servants of the place to do his bidding. There was a constant wrinkle of a frown between his eyes. A man, perhaps without a sense of humor, he would f

her carefully for five days. She might be a Chukche who, through some strange impulse, had been led south to seek culture and education. He doubted that. She might be an Eskimo from Alaska making her way north to cross Be

ight, after an enjoyable repast of tea, reindeer meat and hard bread prepared by her own hand over a small wood fire. It was she who was his fellow passenger, whose igloo he had erected, close to hi

is arm ready and free for action, he lay still. His breathing well regulated and even, as in sleep, he watched through narrow slit

ot believe his eyes. He thought he wa

ative rose until it hung over Joh

The native, without a cry, fell backward beyond the curtain.

s knuckles were bloody, for the only weapon he had used was that truly American weapon, a clenched fist. Johnny, as I have suggested before, was so

s neck was not broken. Johnny was thankful for that. He hat

it. His ear caught a stifled cry, a woman's cry. It came, without a doubt, from the igloo of his fellow traveler, the woman.

man completely about, tossed him high in the air, then struck him as he was coming down; struck him in the same

w, she seemed quite equal to the task of caring for herself. There was a muscular sturdiness about her w

question, and from the kindly flash in her eyes Johnny

ws, they were strangely silent. Apparently these two murderers had been appointed

he woman he

uta here. Yo

he replied

till loaded, one with an unused igloo and deerskins, the other with food. To each of these Johnny hastily harnessed a rein

, if they had no deer, the treacherous natives could not follow. They would be obliged to return to the Russian town they had left

ol' one-spot, and

e toward the igloos. N

on his sled and slapping his reinde

l smiled as she fo

e not. His deer cut a circle and sent him gliding away over the snows. Fortunatel

ped upon her sled again and, with some cooing words spoke to her reindeer. The deer tossed his antlers and trotted qui

lowed her deer to stop. She loosened the draw strap and, turning the animal about, tied hi

ow how to drive?"

ore so," s

u never drov

e Jap girl smiled, as if to say,

h the Arctic moon. This Jap girl was a wonder, Johnny felt th

into their faces, but it could hardly keep out the cold. In spite of that, the Jap girl, buried in deer skins, with her back against his, was sleeping soundly. Johnny was sleeping bolt upright with one ear awake. His reindeer were picketed close to the improvised igloo. Other nights, they had taken turns watching

nd listened intently. Yes, there it was again. A wolf beyond doubt

nt moment there was no food. The Jap girl did not know it, but Johnny did. Not a fish, not a hunk of venison, not a pilot biscuit was on their sled. They would soon be

hat crack cracking of hoofs mean? Had o

aw a skulking form drifting down with the wind. Dropping upon his stomach, he took deliberate aim and fired. There

o his feet. "Ea

snow, counting his reindeer. They were all there. Here was a mystery. It was not long in solving. He

ered. "A wild rei

Johnny was at last within easy range of the creature. His automatic cracked twice in quick succe

reindeer, unhitched and tethered, were digging beneath the snow for moss. The storm had subsided a

track had joined the old one. It was the track of a man with dog team and sled. This they had followed due north again, and two hours ago, whi

sign of guilt or treachery in her frank brown eyes, Johnny had been perplexed. What secret was she hiding from him? What did she know, or s

imself to three winks of sleep, when something on the horizon att

r on our trail," he

er had belonged to the Chukche who had attacked him. For the twentieth time he noted that they were exactly alike, blade forging, hilt carving, and all. And again, this realization set him to speculating. How had this brace of knives got so widely separated? How had t

developed into a reindeer, driven by a man. How m