She did not know that the Russian had talked with the savage a few minutes before the chief had come to her with his tale.
At last they reached the rude boma that Rokoff's porters had thrown up round the Russian's camp.
Rokoff's boy had lighted the Russian's lamp, and now at a word from his master he made himself scarce.
Now the Russian was lifting her to her feet and attempting to drag her to the camp cot that stood at one side of the tent.
Quickly she returned to the side of the unconscious Russian. In his belt her groping fingers came upon the hilt of a long hunting-knife, and with this she cut a hole in the back wall of the tent.
Then Negore saw the Russian's face go dark, and he saw the men step to either side of him, snapping the lashes of their whips.
HE had followed the trail of his fleeing people for eleven days, and his pursuit had been in itself a flight; for behind him he knew full well were the dreaded Russians, toiling through the swampy lowlands and over the steep divides, bent on no less than the extermination of all his people.
Here we lived long, on the rim of the sea, among a people by whom the Russians were well hated.
But first the Russians put out the eyes of Old Kinoos that he might never show the way again, and then they fought, where the waves beat white, with the people of Pastolik.
"Even now is he on our heels, and with him many Russians fresh up from the sea."
Nor was I coward when I journeyed, a young man and alone, up the Yukon farther than man had ever been, so far that I came to another folk, with white faces, who live in a great fort and talk speech other than that the Russians talk.
"Then I heard the talk of the shamans and chiefs that the Russians had brought strange sicknesses upon the people, and killed our men, and stolen our women, and that the land must be made clean.
And I saw the Russians come up the Yukon in boats, fresh from the sea, many Russians; and I saw Ivan creep forth from where he lay hid and make talk with them.
Prince Andrew felt that either the actions of Kutuzov's army interested the Minister of War less than any of the other matters he was concerned with, or he wanted to give the Russian special messenger that impression.
Then he began to imagine that the Russians were running away and that he himself was killed, but he quickly roused himself with a feeling of joy, as if learning afresh that this was not so but that on the contrary the French had run away.
