The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-02-10
Chapter 26 AM BUSH

THINK" said Juan finally, that l they will stay there today. At his season. it rains in the late after loon, and sometimes at night. It is more pleasant to be about between he showers. l think these people Ire all sleeping now
 Still Grahame hesitated to leave lis lookout.
 If you will climb down to our packs, will watch for you. There nothing we could Io now. except earn if they take those prisoners elsewhere. Even then we could do lothing, and we might be seen here Iooner or later. Also, am hungry" Juan smiled as he mentioned his appetite.
 Frank gave him an uncertain smile. Maybe you're right. son. Let's both slide down. l have a lunch we ough, to find some safe place not far from here, and hold a council of war.
 Not that any place near here would be particularly safe. But it ought to be possible to find spot where we could keep cut of sight, and yet be able to get into the city during the night. or into the jungle for food"
 They made a cautious descent, and slipped toward the trail they had left so precipitously that morn irg, beside which they had cached their packs.
 Juan was in the lead, trail-posi- ton that Grahame usually accorded hin, since he had found that the toy had canny instinct in sensing trail-danger, before he. Grahame could ever possibly be aware of 1t.
 They reached the tangle of fallen scrub palmetto where they had left their packs. Grahame heard Juan's low murmur of astunishment, and hurried forward. Unconscious of the action, the Americans fingers closed over the butt of his auto matic.
 Juan stood staring thoughtfully at the place where they had left the packs. There was no doubt that this had been the spot; the grass and palm leaves still showed inden tations where. the weighty sacks had been; but the packs, with theiI hammocks. their extra clothing and ammunition, with their first-aid kits and emergency rations, were gone!
 At the instant of discovery Juar did a thing which proved that jungle wisdom is instinctiye. He leaped backward toward Grahame The American. muscles reacting tC the suddenness of the boys move ment, crouched.
 From a screen of bush behind tho spot where their packs had been the naked torso of a man appeared golden in the sunlight. He held 1T his hands a riff 7. In a shut ter glimpse. Grahame saw that tht butt of the gun was almost to hi! shoulder.
 The American fired from undel his arm, the muzzle of his pisto barely free of the holster. Witt the report of the shot, the mar slipped through the bush onto hi! face. The rife. falling from his linn hands. clattered against a stone. A MBUSH! Grahame saw Juan! 4 \ arm crook backward, and thei snap forward like a spring released from compression. A silver streal sped from his hand and into tn, bush to the left. There was thud the unmistakable sound of knif' shaping into flesh and a short throaty "-Ah-h."
 Two rifles cracked. Grahame fel a tug at his collar where his shir fiared away from his neck: then tn  sound of bullet cracking througl underbrush. He firet quickly right and left, at the faint wreath of smoke curling upward. He hear, a cry.
 From the corner of his eye he say Juan weaving backward, hal crouched. He followed. Two ec centric leaps brought them to cover Once again a rife cracked. Tn bullet whined harmlessly overhead
 The action had taken only a fe, seconds. Stealthily they slippe, into the jungle. Behind them the heard shot or two. and the soun of many voices raised in shoute question and answer. They ra now more openly. careless of th noise they made. Frank knew tha distance between them and thei pursuers counted vitally.
 A half-mile from the scene of tn ambush. they pauseL.
 Where now?" asked Grahamt breathing deeply.