The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-03-03
BLOND
\ New SesiaI
Chapter AZ
REUNION IN xUcATAN

IF VOICES may exist without Wis
4 ible. corporeai authorship. then
these voices were undoubtedly dis
embodied.
This ethereal dialogue was In
Spanish. One voice was smoothly
cadenced. soft with the accent Of
one using his native tongue. The
other ghost voice was harsher-un-
doubtedly masculine also--it spoke
abruptly. extravagantly. accented
like a foreigners, and laden with
bookish polysyilabies.
The abrupt voice said. Miracles.
my young friend, are out OF fashion.
True. perhaps the Virgin did appear
to the poor peon at Guadalupe. But
that was nearly four hundred years
ago. Today-as It did then-it
takes two 10 make a miracle. One
to perform It, and at least one. GER
tainly. to believe It."
The voice coughed compiacently.
and continued. That's sound phi
losophy. While II is not original
with me. t might we'll have been. |
have written cleyerer things.
"No. miracles are questionable.
The wisdom OF the public IL a ter
rible thing. Could ! perform a mir
acle-aBd do NOT say that cannot
what would be the result? The
public wonld pu: fits tongue in its
cheek. II would slyly pull down the
corner Of Its eye and say that pub.
hcity men should be confined TO
a4ylums!- The voice ended upon
q note OF sls vance.
The softer voice ehuckled. you
seem cart. senor. that people no
longer IRE so stupid"
but they are," exclaimed the
other voice with emphasis. Il have
matters 10 write marvellous
matters-that should astound the
world. But will ever be permitted
10 write about them as only | can
write about them? No! Certainly
mott shall be told that they are
too extraordinary. Nobody would
believe mel"
A gust OF wind, a sound like 4
SCATTERING cascade OF rain obliteF.
ated the voices for a moment. The
blaekness was split with a flare OF
lightning wildly sustained.
The figure OF q man stirred 10 a
corner Of the dark enclosure. He
seemed half buried In swaths Of
palm leaves. His clothing. mass
Of wet rags. ciung to his powerful
frame. His hair was black sad
damp. behrd-stubble served but to
aceeRtBate the strength OF his jaws
and chin. He pushed himself to his
hands and knees.
The voice with the foreign accent
again took advantage OF a lnll in
the thnnder. Juan. my boy. you
should consider yourself lucky that
you're not q genius. Believe me. 1
suffer more because OF my talents
than ! DO frrm my faults. although
II ! do SAP II myself
'zowiel What q crash that vast
Look al that flash! Juan! He's
conscious. stir up the IRE. Frank!
Frankl It's me. Frank. Horatio
Greene"
Exeiiedls Jua was blowing upon
the near dead enbers OF a DIRE.
Greene feserishiy hauled dried
palm leaves and drIflwood toward
him. A small fame broke out: then
the IRE blaxed up.
Frank Grahame sat upright upon
the heap Of palm leaves. He shook
his head as II I" clear It. For an
instant be stared at the two anxious
faces turi ed toward him. one dark
and draw" with concern-the Meyi
can boy. Juan - the other white but
gaunt and stabhled with weeks OF
unshaved beard.
a TIRED grin spread over the face
OF Grahame. "FIullo, genius, I"
he chuekisd hoarsely. Don't Ie,
me interrupt. You we're speaking
o. miracles. Answer me this one
Greene: am here-and allve-afd
you. And Juaner
oreene answered with an excited
laugh. SURE be exclaimed. "A
clnchl Juan and | we're Just talk
ing abonf Il. We picked you out OF
the So his afternoon. Thought
tana-smsAgoue byas bye. Fint--"
Rapi. y be explained. When he
and Juan had upset the ceremony
on the pyramid top. and had
plunged into the depths below. thew
had been sucked into the down.
stream cavern. they had lost sight
OF the nigh priest after they had
struck the surface OF the pool.
Clinging to driftwood they had
fioated during > day and q night,
passing IN the darkness the cenote.
valley where Janice and he had
found sangton. They drifted down
the underground river to the spot
where Frank on the previous day
had crawled out TO the jungle Tor
that bri 4 pause 10 bis journey.
Instead Of boating the remainder
% the distance as Grahame had
d0as. the. made their way on foot
through the jungle TO the coast.
Here they had been Tor several days