South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-06
FLAMING JEWEL
by ROBERT W. CHAMBERS

sharp. some ready 20 crumble, and
water STOOD IN the heels.
As che stole along. dimly shining
tho tracks. lifting her head in
cessantly 20 listen and peer into tn
darkness her quick eye caught
something ahead -- something very
slightly different from the wall OF
black obscurity - a vague hint OF
color-the very vaguest tint scarcely
perceptible at all.
But she knew II was hreligbt
touching the trunk OF an unseen
tree.
Now. soundless over damp pine
needles she crept. The scent Of
smoke grew strong in nostril and
throat; the pale tint became palelv
reddish. All about her the bIackness
seemed alpable-seemed 10 touch
her body with its weight. but. ahead
a rudy glow stained two huge
pines. And presently she saw the
fire, burning low. but redIy alive.
And, after a long, long while. she
saw a man.
He had left the fire circle. His
/ pack and belted mackinaw still lay
there al the foot OF a great tree
But when, finally, she discovered
I him, he was scarcely visible where
he crouched in the ehadow OF a
tree-trunk. with his rife half low
I cred at a ready.
She strained her eyes: but dis
lance and obscurity made recogni-
/ ton impossible. And vet, somehow.
! every quivering instinct within her
was telling her that the crouched
/ and shadowy watcher beyond the
I fire was Quintana.
! And every concentrated instinct
was telling her that he'd kill her II
he caught sight Of her: her heart
: clamored il; her pulses thumped It
, in her ears.
Had the girl been capable OF Il
/ she could have killed him where he
I CrOucied. She thought Of it, but
knew Il was not IN her TO do IT,.
And yet QUintana had boosted that
he meant to kill her father. That
was what terribly concerned. her.
And there must be a way TO stop
that danger some way to stop It
short OF murder way to render
this man harmless 70 her and hers.
No, she could not kill him this
way Except in extremes she could
not bring herself to fire upon any
human creature. And yet this man
must be rendered harmless-some-
how-somef ow-ahi-
As the problem presented itself
i
Men OF the wilderness knew how 20
take dangerous creatures alive. To
take dangerous ard reasoning
| human was even less difficult. be-
cause reason makes more mistake
/ than does instinct.
Stealthily, without a sound. the
I girl crept back through the shad-
ows over the damp pine needles.
until. peering fearfuuy over he
| shoulder. she saw the last ghost
I tint Of Quintana's fire die out in the
/ terrific dark behind.
Slowly, still, she moved until her
sensitive feet felt the trodden path
from Drowned Valley
Now. with torch faring. she ran.
carrying her rifle at a trail. Before
her. here and there, little night
creatures fed - a bumped up rae
coon, dazzled by the glare. a barred
owl still struggling with It's wood
rat kill
She ran easily-an agile, tireless
young thing. part OF the swiftness
end silence OF the woods - part OF
the darkness. the sinuous celebrity.
the ominous hush OF wide stiH
places - part OF It's very blood and
pulse and hot. sweet breath.
Even when she came out among
the birches by Cinch's Dump she
was breathing evenly and without
distress. She ran TO the kitchen
door but did not enter on pegs
under the porch score or more
I OF rusty traps hung She unlocked