The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-02-23
Chapter 40
NEW DANGER

Z ANGT0N concluded reminiscent
" st was quite a scrap We
nager did get to the top of the pyra
mid. I grabbed q gun from one oil
the guards -. L used It.
Is thought I saw the ahkin ge
down. but I. couldn't be sure. Any
] way. the gun was empty. and l ran
to the edsa of.thss cenote
| I'm not much OF q swimmer. you
know. butt thought I'd rather drown
than be cut up. So 1 Jumped over
the edge.
Funny: IN falling I thought how
curious It was that still hung on
to my bottle through the excite
. ment.: :. Frank / think 1t was q
break that. they found that bottle
but greater Jet was the fact that II
got TO- sea from herel"
He arose and limped back and
forth before the iire. Talking rapid
II, almost to himself. he said, "We
can'tget up the ellis. II would take
! weeks to make rope. We might
cut down paimtfees. Make a ladder
that'd reach to the top.
"Butit might not work. II We did
GET to the topit would take weeks to
cut through the jungle to the coast
Too long. The rains will be here
soon again"
Frank interrupted him. Janice
looks . little sleepy. How about get
ting q little rest, Janice? Billy and
will chin awhile, then turn in our
selves"
They overruled the girls protest
Langton hobbled into the small
shack after them and pointed out
q net hammock he said he'd made
from cactus fiber. ats not the Wal
dorf type" he said with a wry smile
"but it's comfortable. The deer skins
smell Q little but they're warm"
Janice laughed at his apology. 81
. think it's q lovely bed" She stified
. small yawn and gave them q
sleepy good night.
DACK again before the fire, Ora
~ hame looked somberly at Lang,
tom. -
II noticed" he said. shat your
IRE. was chiefly trlftwood. Also that
your drlftwood comes from about
the highest level on this little hill"
you've seen that. too" Langton
replied. TWell. old man. I'll tell you
the worst All It takes is Just one
heavy storm and a flooded stream
to wipe 10 all out.
1--WE thought about It until !
would get q little nutty. rye thought
OF building raft. and when this
valley becomes q big bath tub. I'd
iloat until the water went down. Il
might work. but believed getting
out by way OF the cliffs was the
lesger evil and got cracked up do
ing It.
n thought Of building a smaller
raft and floating down the stream
through the caverns % the sea. bu
/ couldn't b sure Of getting there
"Eyen now. how could I be SURF
that q man floating or q raft could
get through. A pop bottle is on'
thing: Q man is another"
Frank said grimly. ats q chanc,
that win have to be taken By one o
az. Yon don't swim. we'll Fortunate
ly.ldo SoIthink. IN elect myself
LsanEton looked at. him curiousIy
you're . good scouE Frank. But
cant let Jon do It. For the mrs
time Frank. realized the trace Of bit
eerness that underlay Billy Lang
tons eay hnmor.
He continueda -I'm only half ,
man now. Frank It doesn't matte
whaf happens to me. III make |
balsa.wood jacket-it,s lighter thar
cortland do all the floating on
thereis to be done.
@Fon're strong and resourceful
Mis1 Kent's chances would be i'm
proved IL ron remained behind {.
make ropes. or ladders. or RATS II
ease -. well. biuntly. In case thiI
stream ends below q swamp ant
seeps upward. or worse. ends In I
hole In the ocean floor"
FRANK threw q chip into the FRI
= and watched the small fame
with thoughtful glanca he remem
bered the trip In the launch viii
ortega and his two crewsmen. They
had stopped q half mile or 50 from