raid
of that little figure! Afraid, yet very much attached to it. I set it
down and he wrapped it up again.

"Strange thing! Tell me about it."

"You know we split Korea with Russia, after the war. I thought I'd take
a look around. I have done quite a bit of that. It wasn't hard. Up near
the Russian line I found something."

He stopped, looked at me. Whether, he was trying to gauge my credulity
or my depth, I don't know.

"You're young. You're not yet thirty, Keele; you've got time left to
enjoy a fortune such as I'm letting you in on. And I saw such women
among these unknown people as no man would believe. I spent a lot of
time spying on them."

I figured he was lying about the women to get me to help him finance the
trip. But just the same, the hint of unknown and unspoiled beauty of
some hidden, weirdly alien tribe of people aroused my curiosity--the old
lure of the Savage Princess from kid days, I guess. I hadn't had a real
vacation in years--and what would I enjoy more than a jaunt through
untouched forests? Toward what didn't matter as long as the hunting was
good. And it sounded good!

"Unknown people, virgin forest, beautiful women and plenty of gold.
Sounds too good to be true!"

He squinted at me, bared his fine teeth. He leaned forward, almost
whispered trying to impress me:

"The people who made that statue are still there. It isn't ancient--they
still make them!"

Now I knew he was lying, but still I was hooked. I had to know! For that
statue was an infinite evidence of a refinement of art culture rare on
earth! If such a race still remained untouched by white man's modern
rot--I could pick up a fortune in art objects. I wasn't too dumb to know
what they'd bring in New York. I nodded, and he went on.

"I found a cache of valuable gold, jewels, and other things. Things I
can't understand. I could be better educated, Mr. Keele. That's why I've
come to you. I want some help."

I leaned back. If he found gold, he should have the wherewithal to get
in there and back without my help. So he was lying. I determined to find
out why, and just what the lie was.

"Go ahead," was all I said. Give a liar enough rope and he'll trip
himself.

But he didn't! He didn't ask for money! He only wanted me for advice,
for the names of experienced men of the kind he needed, to help him go
back there. Men willing to fight if needed. Or else he was too clever.
At the end he had me. I was committed to supervising an