The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-02-17
GODDESS


Grahame's forty-five took the man
in the face. The American stopped
and dragged the bandolier of car
tridge-clips from about the limp
shoulder. He tossed the ammunition
to Janice.
He essayed a glance over his
shoulder. He saw figures streaming
down the side Of the pyramid in
pursuit. He and the girl had bet
ter start than he had hoped for. 1t
was evident that their margin of
lead was desperately slight.
Their footing was good. Flag
stones, yards square. paved this cen.
trail area, and made running easy.
The last few yards to the plane
seemed interminable.
Grahame scooped up an empty
wooden gasoline case, scarcely
pausing in his stride. He flung it
beside the fuselage.
"Step on that! Can you make
it?" he gasped. "Climb in the rear
cockpit. Start shooting right away!"
He stumbled to the starting crank
and wound the starter. The guards
were nearer. As he reached for a
strut to haul himself upon the lower
wing, he heard the whip-lash Of a
rife shot above him.
Again the rife cracked. He wrig-
gled to the middle of the wing and
drew himself upright. clinging to
the guy.wires. His flyers instinct
noted that the flying wires were
ominously slack.
The months of standing In the
open, IN the rain and blazing sun,
had probably loosened all the rig
ging. He thanked fortune that the
wings were metal, there was no
fabric to rot He prayed that the
motor would hre after months of
Inaction.
Three more shots, evenly spaced
cracked over his head. Almost he
sobbed In admiration for the girl
who was coolly shooting from the
plane.
AS he threw leg over the cowling
OF the cockpit, he flashed a glance
toward the pyramid. In the imme-
date foreground, scarcely two hun
dred yards away, two men sprawled
on the fiagstones.
Another sat. face within his
spread knees, his rife on the ground
almost under him. Behind several
we're spreading out fan.wise-those
in the center were kneeling in
preparation for firing.
INTO the cockpit he sprawled. He
: heard distant firing and the whine
Of bullets overhead. A vicious, me-
tallIc ripping told him that the plane
was being hit.
Then the rife from the rear cock
pit began to crash again, one-two-
three In series of i've, as the girl
fired and reloaded. She was shoot.
Ing Ike q veteran in a rife pit.
He threw on the switch with his
sound left hand and feverishly ad.
justed the throttle and tested the
controls. Although stiff. they
worked. AS he pulled on the starter
he made an inarticulate sound--a
prayer.
The motor erupted into a boom
ing roar! For an instant 1t held the
even resonance of its explosions,
then sputtered. Frantically Ora.
hame iazzed the throttle. II was
now or never. He could never sur
vivs the salvo Of bullets that would
greet him II be were forced to wind
the starter again.
The motor coughed discordantly,
then settled into an even drumming
that reverberated above the STAG.
cato tattoo Of ride fire.
He had noticed that the wheels
were UNLOCKED. He showed the
throttle forward. The motor revived
up unevsnly but the plane began to
slide forward.
For : brief instant the ship rolled
onward without interruption-there
came : bump that dragged one wing .
tip against the stone. He gunned the
motor and ruddered to correct d.
rection.
He saw figures scattering ahead
Of him. There was another. small.
or thud. as . wings edge hit a feet
ing qatike.
Ragged holes appeared in the
wings. The great pyramid doomed
ahead Of him. The tail skid was of
the ground. He pulled the stick to-
ward him. She responded. and took
the air Just as a crash against the
pyramid seemed inevitable.
He banked left. The bass roar Of
the motor echoed against the side
OF the huge monument. So close was
he. that he saw the terror stricken
eyes OF the populace as they nat.
tened their bodies against the steep
sides.
As be leveled above the tree-tops
he vas conscious that the controls
were sluggish. Hls right arm was
worse than useless. He fought the
stick backward with but slight re.
action. The effort sent the blood to
his head.
fcssvssaf. 1854. - Eessvf Iss,.sI