The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-31
GODDESS
by Herbert Jensen

1 That night Grahame thought of Janice. It should have been that the distance that separated her from him would also tend to keep his thoughts of her equally far away. But it was not so. Her eyes, swept by their long lashes, looked directly at him.
 He would have liked to have reached out and touched her shining hair. It was senseless to think about it. Here he was down along the coast of Quintana Roo, trying to forget her.
 Excitement, adventure, were the causties to apply to the wound she had dealt him. There was some thing in that country beyond the dull shore line that outsiders were not supposed to see. He was going in to look.
 Langton's plane, buffeted by the southern hurricane, might have crashed in there. It was not beyond reasonable theory. Quintana Roo contained thousands of square miles that had not been inhabited since the dim centuries when pagan priests caused tall pyramids to be erected to their bloody gods. The wreckage of Langton's plane might we'll be hidden in there.
 There might be other things hid den. He was going in soon to see. THE launch slid between the roots of mangroves that gripped the shores of lagoon which was like a narrow river except that the water was salt. They chugged along un- til they were two or three miles in- land from the coast, when the pas sage widened into a lake several hundred yards in circumference.
 They edged inward toward small wharf extending at water level several yards into the lake. The waters edge back of the wharf had been cleared and in the clearing were several f1imsy buildings of palm-thatch. The launch was tied up at the wharf and the hatch unbat- tened.
 Grahame helped with the unload ing. AS the first case slid from the deck to the pier he uttered an ex- clamation. The size ard weight of the case was unmistal1able.
 Ortega and his two helpers paused to watch him.
 Someone is going hunting, I see," he remarked dryly.
 Ortega's reply was equally ironic. "In this country" he said, there is always hunting"
 The unloading was accomplished without further comment. Grahame estimated that in the cargo there were cases containing at least two hundred rifles and a substantial amount of ammunition. Sufficient, certainly, to equip quite little army, as numbers went in these countries.
 He was puzzled, however, to know what band # men bent on making trouble could do in this iso- lated part of Mexico. In the first place, the territory hereabouts was uninhabited according to all reports. Even if the man-power were avail able, it would be impractical for them to strike through the jungles to the nearest civilized state, which was Yucatan.
 Furthermore. it would not be stra. getic to dominate Yucatan, since that state was isolated, IT. ore or less, from Mexico proper. Grahame knew enough of revolutions and their technique, tc appreciate that ele- ment. Why, then, this warlike equipment landed at this point?
 Ortega brought up the subject that evening. There are Indians in the interior here that wish equip ment with which to defend them. selves know what you are think ing. You think because you have heard rumors of revolution in Mexico, that these guns are for the revolutionists.
 "It is not so. True, there is a revolution brewing just now.-that is why I avoided the gunboat the other day. They are on the watch for smuggled arms and 1t would be embarrassing for me to b. searched But this cargo is tc be used solely for defense. I have brought many such. I have been we'll paid"
 "How do they pay your"
 with gold" replied Ortega shortly. land other goods. In the morning we will leave and go far. ther south. I wish to pick up an. other cargo, and return to Progreso. When l return here. these cases will be gone and the payment will be in a place iknow of"
 q would like to talk to these peo. pie who come for your shipment" Ortega's voice was harsh when he answered. You cannot do that. Even 1 never see them-only one man, whom I meet south of here al Plerfo M0ralas. It is there I nick