They crept away in the gathering darkness, these two; and Johnny suddenly felt for this little Jap girl a comradeship that he had not known before.  It was such a feeling as he had experienced in school days, when he was prowling about with boy pals.

Shortly after darkness had fallen, Johnny was seated cross-legged on a deer skin, staring gloomily at the ragged hole left by the whale harpoon bomb.  He had not yet seen Iyok-ok.  He was trying now to unravel some of the mysteries which the happenings of the day had served only to tangle more terribly.  He had not meant to kill the Russian, even though the Jap girl had told him to; Johnny did not kill people, unless it was in defense of his country or his life.  He had been merely trying the Jap girl out.  He was obliged to admit now that he had got nowhere.  She had laughed when he had played that abominable trick on the Russian; had denied that the stranger was her friend, yet had at once become greatly excited when Johnny proposed to kill him.  What could a fellow make of all this?  Who was this Jap girl anyway, and why had she followed this Russian so far?  Somehow, Johnny could not help but feel that the Russian was a deep dyed plotter of some sort.  He was inclined to believe that he had had much to do with that harpoon episode as well as the murder attempted by the reindeer Chukches.

“By Jove!” the American boy suddenly slapped his knee.  “The knife, the two knives exactly alike.  One he tried to use in the street fight at Vladivostok; the other he must have given to the reindeer Chukche to use on anyone who might follow him.”

For a time he sat in deep thought.  As he weighed the probabilities for and against this theory, he found himself doubting.  There might be many knives of this pattern.  The knife might have been stolen from him by the Chukche, or the Russian might have given it to the native as a reward for service, having no idea to what deadly purposes it would be put.  And, again, if he were that type of plotter, would not the Jap girl know of it, and desire him killed?

The Japanese girl puzzled Johnny more and more.  Her friendship for Iyok-ok, her eagerness to protect the Russian—­what was to be made of all this?  Were the three of them, after all, leagued together in deeds of darkness?  And was he, Johnny, a pawn to be sacrificed at the proper moment?

And the Russian, why was he traveling so far north?  What possible interests could he have here?  Was he, too, planning to cross the Strait to America?  Or was he in search of wealth hidden away in this frozen land?

“The furs!  I’ll bet that’s it!” Johnny slapped his knee.  “This Russian has come north to demand tribute for his government from the hunting Chukches.  They’re rich in furs—­mink, ermine, red, white, silver gray and black fox.  A man could carry a fortune in them on one sled.  Yes, sir!  That’s his business up here.”

But then, the diamonds?  Again Johnny seemed to have reached the end of a blind alley in his thinking.  Who could be so rash as to carry thousands of dollars’ worth of jewels on such a trip?  And yet, he was not certain the man had them now.  He had seen them but once, and that in the disguise shop.