d accompanying
that expedition. Or was it the wise emerald eyes of the little golden
Goddess that trapped me? I didn't know, then.

Finally I got it out of him. He hadn't brought back the gold. He had to
cross bandit territory, and he didn't have to tell me why he didn't
carry his fortune with only his own rifle to guard it.

I picked two well-known men who were available just then. Hank Polter
had led more than one hunting party through country I wouldn't have
picked--and come out safe. He knew what a gun was for, and when to use
it. And that's the most important part of handling a gun, knowing _when_
you have to shoot, and then doing it first. The man that shoots before
he has to is going to get you into more trouble than he can get you out
of.

Lean and tough, he knew the ropes. Around thirty, just under six feet,
not bad looking, he was making the most of Seoul's wide-open hot spots.
Nearly broke, he jumped at our offer.

Seoul is the capital of Korea, in case you don't know. Everyone did
pretty much as they pleased, for there were few restrictions from the
so-recently installed government. There are a number of gold mines
around Seoul, which was why I was there. Like the cross-eyed Jake Barto,
I knew that something would turn up worth owning where governments have
changed three times in as many years.

Frans Nolti, the other hunter we hired, was more of a fortune hunter,
by appearance, than one who knew his way in the jungles of the world.
Handsome in his Italian way, he was suave, apparently well educated,
very quick in his movements. He gave the impression of extreme
cleverness, of intellect held in reserve behind a facade of worldliness,
of light clever talk.

Both of them knew their Orient, far better than I. Which was one reason
I wanted them.

Barto had at first wanted a large party, at least a score of "white" men
of the western school, able to fight and smart enough to know how. But I
had talked him out of it.

"You see, Jake, with two like these, we can travel fast. If there's
treachery, if they aren't satisfied with the cut we're offering, why
it's two against two--you and I have an even chance. With a larger
party, we might pick up some scoundrels who will try to murder us and
make off with the treasure. Providing we _get_ the treasure!"

Jake eyed me, in that maddeningly unreadable cross-eyed expression of
cold ferocity which the scars gave his ugly face. We had agreed on
one-third each, t