The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-02-05
chapter "a
THE susLEvApos

THE suHLEvApoS
Juan glanced at the figure at his
- feet. He crossed himself. Gra-
hame took on bis khaki sun-helmet
and set It beside the overturned wa.
ter pan. McGrath's eyes stared
classify at nothing.
Poor devil" said Grahame. ~
wish he had let me give him the
hypo."
They buried MeGrath in the
swamp. Returning, they re-lIghted
their IRE. Although there was plenty
OF game about. they dared not risk
q shot, so ate meal of cold beans
and meat.
They slept for several hours. Ora.
hame decided th I for comforts
sake the troupe ahead Of them
would travel all night Juan agreed
that this was probably true, and If
they began to follow about midnight,
they could comfortably and safely
follow the trail for at least six hours.
They awoke at eleven Juan slipped
OF into the darkness and In a little
while returned with q large bush
turkey dangling by hts side. He
grinned when Grahame questioned
him. ese
"You heard this one this after.
noon. He sleeps in a tree not far
from here. Tonight" he chuckled.
The sleeps with u.s."
The boy dressed and cooked the
bird - tropic refrigeration. The
cooked meat would last them
through the next day.
They ate. and began their march
southwark along the trail. Grahame
pondered upon what McGrath had
told him. The taking OF moving pic
lures in this cruel country seemed
a little incredible.
II IT were authentic ruins they
wanted. there were several within a
days train ride Of Merida. the CAPT
tai OF Yucatan. and a civilized place.
There was no reason for striking
south Of Merida into this unknown
country.
The wounded man had mentioned
the name 0rtega. While the name
was a common enough one, never.
theless Frank began to have a pre-
sentiment that the name was re.
curing too often to be entirely CO.
incidence. It was an 0rtega whom
he bad never saena thai. bad been In.
volyed-he still thought-in Jan.
ices abduction in Hollywood.
Il was Ortega who mad landed the
arms az the hacienda on the east
coast. While that had happened two
weeks before. still. 0rtega In the
launch. could have been back at
Merida In three days
And Il had been from Merida that
still another 0rtega had guided the
man McGrath in q southeasterly d.
Fection to this spot. That IL. II II
had been another OF the same name
Frank shook his head in puzzlement-
The dying man had said others
were to follow. Probably whole
group OF actors and technical men.
Women. too. most probably. He was
struck with Q sudden chill. Janice
Kent might be among them!
EupposIng this was Myberg's com.
pany OF people come 70 Yucatan for
location. He remembered now that
Spin Winslow had said that Myberg
liked authentic backgrounds and
that this man. Ortega. was to have
guided them to where bigger and
better ones were
This would be a beastiy place. for
women II the plan was to come here.
He uttered an exclamation that was
half irritation. half fear. Juan
paused but at Grahame's gruff word
continued on.
0t
AAcQRATH lad said that his Or.
iV1 tega had bee5 captured BY the
Indians who had assaulted them.
Surprising. then. that he was one
and the same with the man who had
landed the guns. Because Of that he
would have some sinister under.
standing with these jungle people
and would not be harmed. He might
even be allowed to return TO Merida
where he could make plans to bring
the remainder Of the motion picture
people into this piaee--and to their
destruetionl
Tie speculated upon the motive.
then dismissed the train OF thought
as being unimportant Plenty Of mo-
tive for a criminal Robbery for one.
ransom perhaps. although the lat.
ter seemed improbable since Ne.
Grath had been murdered without q
chance 20 buy himself out OF his
dIfaculty. Were there women along.
there would be another possibility.
Although the night was cool. the