Still there was no sign of any human being. She could hear the joyous twittering of birds, and the distant lowing of cattle feeding along the banks of the river, the swish of the current and the rustling of reeds, but there was no other sound. Yet she was sure someone was near her. "Come out," she said gently, "and I'll help you, if you need help. Perhaps you are hungry, I will bring you food. Even if you are a thief, I am sorry for you." The reeds parted, and a face looked up to her. She thought she had seen it before, but was not sure. It was a thin, pinched face—one that had been burned black under a scorching sun, and made pallid by cold and hunger. But the deep blue eyes that gazed beseechingly into her own touched some chord of memory. "Who are you?" she asked. "Michael Ivanoff," he answered. "Oh, heavenly Tsaritza!" she exclaimed. The next moment she took the wayworn face between her hands, and kissed the sunburnt forehead. "I'm come back to save Velia," said Michael, with a sob of joy. "Thank God!" she cried. "You're none too soon. But oh, we must be careful! Stay, while I fetch you something to eat." She ran hastily to the house, and brought back with her a knitting-basket and a stool. She could sit knitting on the bank of the river without anyone suspecting she had a companion hidden among the reeds. This artifice she had learned when she was a girl. So Michael, lying out of sight, ate his food, of which he was sorely in need, and told the story of the journey to Eastern Siberia. Yarina wept bitter tears, and flew into a passion of anger and horror as she listened. So many of her old friends dead—murdered, she called it—and the children! Nine of them, did Michael say? Was it true? Oh, the pity and the shame and the sin of it! "Where are you hiding now?" asked Yarina. "Every night I go to the haunted hut," he said; "there's no danger of being found there. But all day long I linger here, on the chance of seeing Velia alone, but I have not seen her yet." "You will never see her alone," said Yarina gloomily. "I must!" he exclaimed. "I've money enough, if we can once get out of Knishi and reach Kovylsk. My mother's cousin in Odessa has given me money, and got somebody's passport for me. Only Velia will have to travel as a boy. I've got boy's clothes for her." "But how to get her out of that old harridan's clutches!" exclaimed Yarina. They discussed plans as long as they dared, until they heard the voices of the harvesters coming home in the bright moonlight. One thing only was settled, that Yarina should conceal enough food for every day among the reeds. Michael had been living on berries. It was a great thing to be supplied with food. He could afford to wait longer than he could have done otherwise.