The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-31
Chapter IS QUARREL


 V ly battened hatch. The young man laughed again. "I knew the gunboat was in these waters. have a friend in the customs"
 Grahame watched the vessel head toward the distant horizon. It oc cured to him that Ortega's explana tion was rather weak: also that he did not seem anxious whether Ora hame believed it or not. The atti tude of the big Mexican and his crew had been one of reserve the previous day: today it seemed that they felt toward him a new familiar ity.
 Perhaps Grahame's indifference toward Ortega's inference that there was good reason for his want ing to evade civilization had some thing to do with their affability. II did not perturb him at all. If Or tega's operations were illegal. they did not concern him, and it was none of his business.
 At dusk they continued their jour ney. Once in the night Grahame was awakened by the stopping of the engine. For a half hour they rocked motionlessly on the sea as the lights of a steamer passed a mile or two distant. in the opposite direction. Grahame shrewdly sus' pected it was the gunboat patrolling back the way it had come.
 The next day they rounded Cape Catoche and sailed south. They passed some low-lying islands, and once several miles to their left a fruit liner overlook them and steamed on. It looked like white gull lowering at horizon-level.
 The day was uneventful. The crew took turns at the wheel, and Grahame and Ortega sat on the deck house and smoked. Grahame asked the big man when they would be at the island and was answered that 1t would be tomorrow, in the afternoon perhaps. Ortega seemed to be pondering.
 q was thinking" he said, "that your island would not be the place you want to go. It would be safer on the mainland"
 Grahame smiled. You told me it was unsafe on the mainland" But 1 have been thinking. could use you at my hacienda. It would be hard work, often. And you could make some money" q have plenty of money" He caught Ortega looking at him ap- praisingly. "Still man can always | more money"
 Why not ge with Ortega. he thought. After all, his iGea was not to remain at the island, but tc use it as a base at which he could make inquiries as to the mainland back of the coast.
 Those that sailed along these bar ren beaches must be acquainted with many queer types that wanted nothing better than 10 go unrecog- nized and unquestioned.
 What .s the interior like behind your placer" he asked.
 Ortega shrugged his shoulders. Nobody knows. No ore has ever been there. Very dangerous" rRAHAME made his decision N "Ill go with you to your haci. enda," he said "I won't promise tc work for you, until look it over. Il I decide not to stay. I will pay you for my lodging and leave. All right?" 'is
 Ortega nodded and smiled a little as he looked at Grahame. "Al right" he said.
 Ahead of the launch patch about hundred yards in circumference showed yellow against the blue ol the surrounding sea. Grahame thought it was a reef until ths launch headed into it and stopped The crew threw canvas buckets overheard and hauled them in brim ming with clear water.
 Juan, the geod-humered young ster. dipped tin cup full and helt 1t out to Grahame. "Fresca," h, said. 1t is fresh, drink" Grahame drank. It was cool an, fresh. decidedly below the tempera ture of the seas surface. It had { slight taste of vegetation; Grahams thought it was very curious. Ortega witnessed his amazemen and offered an explanation. "Thers are many such along the coast here It is the mouth of stream tha empties out from the land under thu sea. It is like well in the bottom of the sea. The men like to drink 1 because 1t is cooler than the watel in the casks" ~--~