Page:William Le Queux - The Czar's Spy.djvu/260

242 grey light, we could distinguish two empty boats — that of the guards and our own. We were again at the spot where we had disembarked.

"Let us row to the head of the lake," suggested the Finn. "We may then land and escape them." And a moment later we were all three in the guards' boat, rowing with all our might under the deep shadow of the bank northward, in the opposite direction to the town of Nystad.

We kept a sharp look-out for any other boat, but saw none. The signals ashore had attracted all the guards to that spot to join in the search, and now, having doubled back and again embarked, we were every moment increasing the distance between ourselves and our pursuers.

I think we must have rowed several miles, for ere we landed again, upon a low, flat and barren shore, the first grey streak of day was showing in the east.

Elma noticed it, and kept her great brown eyes fixed upon it thoughtfully. It was the dawn for her — the dawn of a new life.

Our eyes met; she smiled at me, and then gazed again eastward, full of silent meaning.

Having landed, we drew the boats up and concealed it in the undergrowth so that the guards, on searching, should not know the direction we had taken, and then we went straight on northward across the low-lying lands, to where the forest showed dark against the morning grey. The mist had now somewhat cleared, but the air was keen and frosty.