ed by the address:
"Avalon, Catalina Island, California." Then in the lower left-hand
corner, were the words: "Representing the Fortunatus Syndicate, of Tia
Juana, Mexico."

"What do you make out of this, Hiram?" the motor wizard asked.

"What do you make out of it?" countered Hill.

"If you are sure the Stetson belonged to the man in the automobile--to
the man whom you thought was your father---"

"I'll take my solemn Alfred on that!"

"Well, if this is the man's business card, it proves that the man is J.
Lopez--and he can't be your father."

"That's not his business card, Clancy."

"How do you know?"

"There was two gilt letters pasted in the crown o' that Stetson, and
them letters was 'U. H.' Sabe? My dad's name is Upton Hill."

Clancy was suitably impressed.

"Well, who's this J. Lopez and the Fortunatus Syndicate?" he inquired.
"Those are two things we ought to find out."

"I'm wise to the Fortunatus Syndicate, all right," said Hill. "You
remember I was down in Tia Juana, that time I got hornswoggled out o'
five hundred dollars by Gerald Wynn. Well, I heard about this Fortunatus
Syndicate while I was in the place. Some Americanos are planning a
gambling resort, just across the boundary line, and they call their
company the Fortunatus Syndicate."

"And your dad's mixed up with it, Hiram? That doesn't speak very well
for him."

"Maybe he's mixed up in it, and maybe he isn't. I wouldn't go and
connect him with any gamblin' syndicate just because I found that there
card under the sweatband of his Stetson. What do you allow is the thing
for us to do? My hand's on the table, Clancy, and I want you to help me
play it."

"Strikes me," said Clancy reflectively, "that the best move is to go
across to Catalina Island and talk with this man Lopez."

"I allowed we'd better, advertise in the papers," remarked Hill. "We
could use the Lost and Found Column."

"How?"

"Well, we could say, 'Lost--One man about fifty with a squinch eye, a
Roman nose, and a mole on the back of his neck. Answers to name of Upton
Hill. Communicate with Hiram Hill, Renfrew House, City.' And then we
could put in another, like this: 'Found--One black Stetson, initials "U.
H." in crown. Picked up corner Sixth and Maine time the chink dragon went
to pieces. Communicate with Hiram Hill, and so forth.' I don't see any
use in huntin' up this Lopez."

"Your father must have, business, with Lopez, Hiram, or he wouldn't be
having the Mexi