[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

careful cultivation of the right people, all could be wasted because of this
one man, this American!
He returned to the map. Alekhin would find him. He had never failed, and now
for the first time he was officially involved. He had been looking around,
asking questions here and there; this Zamatev knew. Now he was involved, and
he would discover the American.
Yet he was full of doubt. So many weeks and never even a sighting of the man!
Miles away to the south and east a heavy truck rolled through the night. The
road was bad, filled with potholes and unexpected swells or breaks in the
surfacing. Permafrost made the building of roads difficult, their maintenance
Page 87
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
even harder.
It was dark in the cab, only the faint light from the instrument panel
picking up highlights on their faces and throwing cheeks and eyes into black
shadows.
"I can only take you to Zavitinsk this time," the driver was saying, "and I
can pick you up in six days' time when I am on my way back."
"That will be all right," Zhikarev said. "I will pay as usual. Half when you
let me off in Zavitinsk and half when you get me back to Aldan."
"Fine! I got the same from Potanin when I took him to Yakutsk."
Zhikarev thought he would faint. His heart seemed to miss a beat, and it was
a moment before he caught his breath. "Potanin? You took Lieutenant Potanin to
Yakutsk?"
"First leave he's had in two years. He needed rest. That border watch is
hard, hard! No telling what those Chinese will do." The driver looked around
at him. "Hey! Are you all right?"
"I'm all right." Zhikarev drew a slow, hopeless breath. "Who took his place?"
"Lieutenant Baransky. No nonsense about him! He's a cold fish! Goes by the
book!" The driver glanced at Zhikarev. "If you have any idea of dealing across
the river, forget it."
Zhikarev leaned back against the seat. His heart beat slowly, heavily. He had
come all this way! And back in Aldan 
Chapter 18
Huddled over his fire, Joe Mack took out the map he had stolen in the
railroad camp. It was far too general for day-to-day use, but enabled him to
get the large picture of what he was attempting.
His problem was one that must be faced each morning, and as his grandfather
used to say, "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Each day must be
approached as a unit; each day must be lived with care; and if this was done,
the procession of days would turn out all right.
Tomorrow must be a shadow at the back of his thinking, something of which he
must think while living out today.
He must try to get other, more detailed maps. He must try to think out his
route while being ready to adapt to any change of plan. He must smoke and dry
meat so he could move rapidly once on the way.
Before he left here, he must have a series of goals in mind, each one to be
mentally checked off when he reached it. Above all, he must be prepared to
move on the instant, from here or from anywhere he stopped. He could not
afford to become emotionally involved ... now why did he think of that?
He shook his head to clear the thought. He was not involved, and it was not
likely he would be. Not here, not in Siberia.
He knew they were searching for him, and he knew they were thorough. He knew
that at first the search had been quick but haphazard, for in the beginning
there had been no doubt he would be recaptured at once. Those first few days
Page 88
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
had seen them sweeping the area where he should have been. He had not been
there because he had traveled too fast and had then taken to the river. Above
all, he had stayed in wild country. Now the search would be slow, painstaking
and would use every possible angle.
He believed he was now in an area where he would not be expected to be. He
did not believe they had any idea where he was and hoped they did not. Yet
there was doubt. Suppose they did know? That he must consider.
Each day he hunted; each night he dried meat. He delivered meat to the
village and kept them living better than ever before. Constantly, he was told
that, and because of that most of them wanted him to stay, at least until
spring.
Again and again he went to the house of Stephan Baronas, and each night he
learned a little Russian. He could ask simple questions now and was beginning
to form sentences. His knowledge was increasing, and it was possible even now
that he could get along, for there were many ethnic groups in Siberia, many of
whom had little if any Russian, Each had its own tongue, and they spoke
Russian, if at all, only as a foreign language.
He now had more than fifty pounds of meat, dried and smoked, and in the
intense cold there was no question but that it would keep.
His plan was to follow down the Gonam River to where it met the Uchur, cross
that river and head across country to the Maya and then to the Udoma, and
follow it upstream and then cross the mountains to the Kolyma. It was but a
general plan, and the chances of keeping to it were slight, yet it was that
route or something akin to it that he must follow.
The distance he must cover was incredible, but if he was lucky, part of it
could be done floating on rivers. That was an outside chance and a risk. There
was something else he must consider, yet he shied from it. He might have to
spend another winter before he could escape.
No use to worry about that. He must face immediate problems. He needed
clothing.
He needed Russian clothing of the kind worn in Siberia. His present condition [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]