The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-02-22
GODDESS
by FEerberf Jensen

AL tue llluG COuluu u1ueT- stand you. You staggered through the jungle in daze, striking at the creepers. Sometimes you would fall, and lay as if you would never get up But you did.
 once you fell in a pool of water. I got you out. Your face was cov- cred with slimy things that wig gled. l brushed them all off and fished in the pool for the knife you lost"
 Frank glanced at her hands.
 No" she said. anticipating his question. They were blistered from the knife. After a while you didn't chop at the vines any more. but would just crash at them with your body. So l walked ahead and chopped"
 You did that?" Grahame's voice was incredulous.
 The girl nodded and hurried on. Tt wasn't so bad. This afternoon, when 1 thought l couldn't fight the creepers n t h CT minute, we stumbled on an old road that seemed to lead in the direction we wanted to go. It was like a con- crete road at home, only the stone blocks were smaller"
 I've heard of them," said Frank. "The old Mayas built them. Usual ly. though, they've been swallowed by the jungle"
 This one was a godsend. We fol lowed it until dark. Then it stopped. Just like that" She made a downward gesture with her arm. TT WAS like walking off an open bridge. I stepped out and my foot touched nothing. fell-I don't know how far 1 fell-into some brush and rolled out of it down a slope. l think l screamed, but you didn't hear me.
 T was shaken, but not much hurt. think. l called to you but you didn't answer. l thought was in some kind of well. and you had walked on. missing it..
 "I was really terrified then" She smiled little apologetically. q think was too frightened to call to you. 1 sat there-I don't know for how long. Then the moon came up. ...
 You were lying just a little way from me. Your face was terribly scratched. :.
 There were matches in your coat. l made this fire. There were clouds of mosquitoes" A tear glis- tened on her cheek and fell. q don't know where we are. We're lost. Frank! Do you think there's any chance.
 She wept tiredly. Frank tight. ened the rm across her shoulders with awkward reinsurance. She rested her cheek against his shoul- der. It seemed that she fell asleep in that instant. He held her thus for an hour, staring somberly at the fires glow.
 Curiously he thought of Spin Winslow's remark made weeks-or was it years?-before. Janice Kent. he had said with his characteristic cynicism, was whalebone a gristle under her soft exterior.
 But he hadn't meant that she could S tand this hardship. The routine of tho studios. however ex- acting, had at the days end warm baths, massage and proper food. Here-no one knew better than Frank Grahame-the privations of the jungle would be brutally swift and murderous.
 The rifle was gone. He discov- cred in glance that his pistol was not in the holster. There was a sagging weight in his coat pocket ammunition-bu worthless without the gun.
 They had the machete, but that was little use as a food-getter. It would serve to hack a trail through the jungle: that was all.
 How far they were from the coast he had no idea whatsoever. Dis. tances in the jungle are not com. puted in miles but in days of travel They had no food-no means to pro- vide themselves with food. Water even, might prove to be problem.
 They must depend upon the after. noon rain, or else drink the brack ish and germ-thickened water from the swamps they might pass. Fur. thermore casual wound, the small mishap of thorn scratch might become infected and prove more deadly than snake bite.
 AS he watched the fire dwindled Mosquitoes sang closer. A slight sound in the surrounding darkness made him realize that jaguars were ferocious cats and might be lurking about.
 Gently he allowed the limp form of his companion to rest upon tho ground. He took off his coat ant covered with it the upper part O her body. He threw fresh fuel upor the fire, taxing care that some O it was green.
 (Copwisht. I034. 6y Hsr5srf Jsssen)