The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-02-17
GODDESS
by Herbert Jensen


 the cities and have been absorbed by the modern way of living. A fel- low told me once that some, even, have gone to the States to be edu- cated, but like our own Indians, they generally drift back to the jungle and lapse into the old ways.
 Tt just shows you what dynamite will do if somebody provides a fuse to touch it off. This Ahkin for in- stance. He was the same one I saw run away from the automobile the night Spin Winslow and I caught up with Janice. By the way, why wasn't Spin along on this trip?"
 His arm was still on the fritz" Greene explained. "He may come later. I dunno. Too late to do us any good"
 You've read up on the arche- ology business. When the Spaniards arrived in this country the natives were sacrificing, they say, twenty thousand young men and women a year in Mexico City alone on their altars.
 Something like that is evident ly going on here"
 Pleasant" muttered Greene. q read where they took them to a cliff brink and threw them off," His lips were little pale. q don't like high places. I've never been in an air plane in my life"
 "This ahkin-ahkin is evidently a title, not a name-," continued Frank, "is doubtlessly the dynamite fuse in this locality. He must be quite a man. The jungle is all cleaned up and the old temples re- constructed better than the Pea body people have done at Chichen Itza. But did you notice his eyes? He's mad. Mad as a."
 Yeah. What-a-man," interrupted Greene wearily. "Supposing we catch some shut-eye? They going to hurt Janice?"
 Frank turned his head into the shadow.
 q thought so," said little Mr. Greene. Listen Frank. and remem- Der this: You did foolish thing on the temple top the other night. If you get a break-any kind of a break-forget me. Forget me, will you? Take Janice and get the hell out of this place! Good night. I'm going to sleep and think about hay ing our throats cut. Pleasant dreams"
 CRAHAME slept ftfully, hls rest o harried by fantastic visions. His shoulder wound had begun to heal and it itched excruciatingly. As the moon sailed higher it threw its beams against their prison. The rays filtered through the two open ings in the walls above him. He heard Greene tossing.
 Finally he must have slept a little. He came awake suddenly, as dog awakes, senses alert but with body motionless. Some sound, he could have sworn. had broken his rest. Greene was breathing deeply but with the regularity of the slum- berer.
 He placed his feet upon the floor, and with eyelids widened, strove to pierce with his gaze the darkness that blanketed their cell except for the two silver patches of moonlight. that stabbing through the windows. sprawled one upon the wall, one upon the floor.
 Across the moon-patch on the floor, gridironed with the shadows of the window bars, a faint gray tracery seemed to wriggle toward him.
 In an instant he was upon his feet and stepped softly toward the center of the cell. His toe touched an object: he stopped and picked it up. It was stone. the size of a large walnut. Tied to it was a strong white cord that lay along the floor to the wall, then up and out of the window opening!
 He tugged gently upon 1t. Imme- diately there was an answering double pull! He drew the cord to- ward him without further resist ance. watching the window. There was a flicker of white at the sill, and with a faint plop. paper. rolled like scroll, fell at his feet.
 His fingers trembled slightly as he united the string that secured 1t. He uArolled the paper and found that it was message of some kind penciled in Spanish. He held 1t to the faint light. It was addressed to himself. beginning with the elab- crate salutation of Spanish punctil- io. sMuy estimado senor. y mi amigo Don Francisco Gxahame. -"
 It was signed Juan Piedra-the lad who by this time. had he escaped the search parties, should have been we'll upon his way to the coast!
 fCeSwight. 1854. 6y R@5srf jessssj
 A plan of escape emerges.