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?