Imperial Valley press., 1936-09-13
BY Whit Wellman
(Chapter 8EConclusion)

(Chapter 8-Conclusion)
INSTINCT sent me through the
dark opening, made me swing
the door shut. The lamps glow in
creased. l saw that the hollow
column contained nothing but a
green idol, the brooding skeleton
= and a man who stood behind it.
A tall shape, motionless, casting a
wavering shadow up the shaft.
His eyes left the green god, as If
I'd disturbed his contemplation.
Lii" l mumbled, Iii"
The bonse bowed slightly, rec
ognizing me.
Where's Bill? Where's Hull
Gim?"
Il do not know. l have been
here thinking about the goddess Of
Mu ="
"Thinkingw muttered. Think
ing what?"
Where to take it"
I bent low, seized the carved
green stone; it was cold in my
hands, smooth and glittering. The
lamplight caressed it, and the
statue shot sparks of light. The
face was a woman's, smiling; a
plump Mona Lisa, enigmatic.
beautiful :. formed in sea-green
ice. Not jade, glass, or anything a
man could imagine. Emerald =
one solid piece of fabulous jewel
resting in my hand. 1t was the
span of a hand, thumb to little
finger. 1 measured my own, later:
that goddess was eight inches.
Green, the deep color of the sea;
you couldn't see into it, but felt
that it looked into you. I let the
statue fall into the pocket of my
loose jacket, which sagged with
its weight.
I said, You needn't bother, Ii.
I'll take it."
Ii gave little hiss, half a sigh;
his eyes ran over me. But the
bonse was a man who accepted
facts, knowing them temporary.
mo man may evade his fate"
he murmured. "The goddess will
live with men who believe"
I WASN'T wondering what the
bonse believed - something
queer, it must be - but 1 saw
how things a man struggles for
turn out to be simple in the end.
We'd come through a lot, hacked
our way through miles of hot
Jungle; then I'd pushed an ele-
plants stone tusk, and picked up
a green idol you could buy a ma
ton with.
Ii hadn't moved! Didn't believe
in force, I supposed. Was this low
voiced priest letting me get away
with the goddess? couldn't be-
lieve that!
"You heard the woman scream,
LIP"
"A long time ago - shall we
find herr"
I heard men outside, gutteral
voices that grew louder. The
sounds blurred against the col
umn. Then close by, Bill cussed
earnestly, an Hull Gin was CIV
ing someone the devil in Chinese.
I heard Bill yell mo" then some-
thin about the parchment I still
held in one hand. 1t gave me a
thought.
LIS lamp burned low, and
took off its copper top to get at
the flame. Lii watched, sayin'
nothing, as I held the map over
the tongue of red and let it burn
slowly. One corner caught, a
streak of fire crept up, eating the
parchment; soon ashes sprinkled
to the floor.
Thick voices came right outside
of the opening; heavy breathing, a
command in Chinese. I felt for the
crack where the section of col
umn swung in. The bonse had no
weapon, and had only the As.
waved at Lii to stay where he was.
But violence didn't worry that
calm priest, and he started to fol-
low.
Then he whispered, Look first
He pointed to a tiny hole the
height of my head; I looked
through it, and was glad he'd
stopped me.
A RIBBON of sun from the
~ court showed Bill sitting
against the wall of the corridor;
Hui Gin and another girl lay fiat
beside him. Bill was talking, but
no one heard him - there was too
much noise. All three were tied
with rattans, wrists bound behind
their backs, ankles tied.
Facing them, with his back to
the column, was Chang. Chang II
and six ugly looking Chinese,
knives stuck in their sarongs. Bill
grumbled and scowled at Chang,
who stood over him. knew, then,
what we were headed for.
IT haven't got the map" Bill
said. IF I had, you could rot,