The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-30
Chapter IT ON THE soAl

ON HE bOAf .--.- / COMETlME later little mestiza O girl skipped around the corner and stopped short at the sight of the huddle that had been the dog.
 "Chiquito!" she cried. Her child. ish treble broke. Tears streamed from her eyes as she fell beside the little body Dust. dog and all she gathered into her arms and knelt there swaying and weeping.
 Grahame, strolling around the cor ner toward the wharves. caught sight of the small tragedy before him. He threw away his cigaret and lifted the child tt her feet. She still clung to the dog.
 What is it?" he exclaimed in Spanish, brushing the dust from the little girls dress.
 There was a fresh flood of tears My little dog! My child. My angel Dead" t
 Grahame glanced swiftly at the bullet wounds and growled, Who did it?"
 "l don't know" Sobs wrenehed her breast.
 There, there" he said soothingly We will take your child home and bury him tittingly Here -" He pressed peso tito her hand. This will buy wreath and { prayer from the padre" He lifted the child. who still elutched her pet in her arms. tc his own, and stro1e toward tht house she pointed out
 "He was so young, quavered tht girl
 The town was stirring from it' daily siesta. as a little later Grahsme continued his interrupted walk to the wharves. He identified the launch that was to take hin down the coast. by his luggage pilet upon the deck.
 Two men were indolently coilinl ropes. and a figure sat on the decl house surrounded with oily rags anC cleaning a revolver.
 "Senor Ortega? asked Grahame.
 At your service" replied the mar brushing the rags aside.
 The American stared at the gun When do we leave?"
 Whenever you wish. lmme diately." a.
 Grahame leaped down to tn, launch's deck. He looked again a the revolver. Was il you that heard shooting in the town little while ago?"
 i Don Raoul hesitated. No" he re piled T have be e4n here for hours.
 The two men paused with theil rope-coiling and glanced at Ortega One of them grinned and turned hi! head. Don Raoui spoke to then sharply and one went below while the other loosed the lines that helt the craft to the wharf. From below came the sound of the engine cough ing into activity.
 An hour later the Progreso light house was haz. roint astern. ant the Yucatan coast low line to thl starboard as they pushed agains the Gulf current.
 Grahame and O. tega iounged fl the cockpit. smoking and idly watch ing school If porpoise roll througl the waves ahead. DEFORE they had gotten undel D way Frank, struck by the coinci dence of names. had asked this Dol Raoul Ortega if he were the one wh, had been in the United States few weeks before in Hollywood.
 Also he had anticipated the an swer. Ortega is a common name fl Mexico; so again is Raoul-which fl the Latin for Ralph. Nor was he dis appointed.
 The man had shrugged. "A rela tive. perhaps Half the gentlemen in Mexico, think, are related. Wh, do you ask? Somc friend of yours?'
 Frank had filled his pipe ant lighted 1t. No friend of mine," b, answered. "But 1 would like to asl him some questions that h, might find difficult to answer"
 Ortega had given him a flickerin, glance. He smiled a curiously reti cent smile.
 "What did you say your nam, was, senor?"
 T didn't say.p answered Graham, abruptly.
 He did not like Don Raoul. Ther, was something sinister--evasive- about the big Mexican.
 But it was fortunate that he wa able to get this transportation around Cape Catoche. and down th coast of Quintana Roo.
 The Progreso port officer had tol. him that morning that the tight ho1fse tender Wnuld not ha ma in,