The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-01-29
Chapter 10
QUARREL.

NOAnHGG
nRTEGA glanced toward the firm
~ ~ battened hatch The young
man laughed again. 81 knew the
gunboat was in these waters. l have
q friend in the customs"
Grahame watched. the veeselihead
toward the distant horizon. 1t oc-
Cured to him that OrtegaAs eGplana-
lion was rather weak5 also that he
did not seem anxious whether Ora
hame believed 1t or not. The atti.
tude Of the big Mexican and his
crew had been one Of reserve the
previous day; today 1t 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. II 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 1t 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 It would be tomorrow. In the
afternoon perhaps. Ortega seemed
to be bordering.
81 was thinking" he said, shat
your island would not be the place
you want to 60. 1t would be safer
~. thu mainland
Grahame smiled. "You told me it
was unsafe on the mainland"
"But have been thinking.
could use you at my hacienda. 1t
would be hard work, often. And you
could make some money"
II have plenty Of money" He
caught ortega looking at him ap-
praisingly. "Still man can always
u . more money"
Why not 60 with Ortega, he
thought. After all, his i6ea was not
to remain at the island, but to use 1t
as O base at which he could make
Inquiries as to the mainland back of
the coast.
Those that sailed along these bar
rem beaches must be acquainted
with many queer types that wanted
nothing better than to go unrecog'
mixed and unquestioned.
'What % the interior like behind
your placer" he asked.
Ortega shrugged his shoulders.
Nobody knows. No one has ever
been there. Very dangerous"
rRAHAME made his decision.
- "T1l 90 with you to your haci-
enda," he said. IT won't promise to
work for you, until / look It over. II
decide not to stay, I win pay you
/ for my lodging and leave. All
ilf.ghtf"
q Orsega nodded and smiled little
as he looked at Grahame. "All
right. he said.
/ 4 Ahead Of the launch patch about
10 hundred yards in circumference
showed yellow against the blue Of
the surrounding sea. .Grahame
thought Il was q reef until the
launch headed into It and stopped,
The crew threw canvas buckets
overheard and hauled them in brim-
ming with clear water.
Juan. the good-humored young
ster, dipped . tin cup full and held
IL out to Grahame. "Fresca," he
said. 1T IL fresh, drink"
/ Grahame drank. II was cool and
fresh. decidedly below the tempera'
! tire Of the seas surface. It had q
| slight taste Of vegetation; Grahame
thought q was very curious.
Ortega witnessed his amaxemeni
/ and offered an explanation. There
/ are many such along the coast here
u 10 the mouth OF o stream that
empties out from the land under the
sea Il is IKE q well In the bottom
OF the sec. The men Hike to drink Il
because Il 10 cooler than the wateE
IN The casks"