Evening journal., 1922-10-17
EPISODE FIVE
Drowned Valley
CHAPTER 1

had heightened, and the barred SUI
rays, fltering through, were tinge
With a rosy hue before Jake Klool
the hootch runner, and Earl Ley
erett, trap thief, came to browne
Valley.
sThey were stiil a mile distant froI
the most southern edge of that va!
desolation, but already tamaracb
appeared in the beauty of thel
btrnt gold; little pools glimmere
here and there; patches Of ambe
snhagnum and crimson pitcher
pants became frequent; and once o
twice Kloon's big boots broke thrug
the crust of fallen leaves. soakin
HIM 10 the ankles with black silt.
.Leverett. always a coward, ha
pursued his devious and larcenou
way through the world, always 4
deadly fear Of sink holes.
Ills movements and paths wer
those Of a weasel preferring Away
solid ground: but he lacked tn
courage Of that sinuous little beast
though he possessed all OF its feroc
its and far more cunning.
sHe looked at the back OF Kloon'i
ufassive head. one shot would blow
thai skull into fragments, h'
thought, shlvering.
Zone shot from behind-and twenty
thousand dollars--or. II It proved a
better deal, the contents Of the
packet. For. If Quintana's bribery
had dazz,ed them, what effect might
the contents OF that secret packet
have II revealed?
sThere might easily be half a mil
lon in bills pressed together in that
heavy, fat packet Bills were abs
soMtely safe plunder. But Kloon
had turned a deaf ear to his sugges-
t1ns-Kloon. who never entertaind
ambitions byond hts hootch rake
off-whose miserable imagination
stopped at wretched percentage
satisfied.
sTamaracks, sphagnum, crimson
ptcher-plants grew thicker; we
woods set with little black pools
Stretched away on every side
1t was still nearly a mile from
Drowned Valley when Jake Kloon
halted In his tracks and seated him
self on narrow ridge OF hard
ground And Leverett came lightly
UP and after nosing the whole Vi
chtyr sat down cautiously where
Koon would have TO turn partly
around to look at him.
sTWhere the hell do we meet up
with Quintana2" growled Kloon.
tearing a mouthful from a gnawed
tobacco plug and showing the re-
nminder deep into his trousers
picket
sfWe gotta travel a piece. yet
Say. Jake. be you a man or
a. vou a poor dumb crltter what
amt got no spunk7"
Kioon, chewing on his cud. turned
aHd glanced at him. Then he spat,
az answer.
s1If you got the spunk Of a chip
nHlnk you and nell take a peek at
that there packet. bet you it's
tlfousand-dolla bills-more'n a bill
lion million dollars likely"
1Koon's dogged silence continued.
Ieverett licked his dry lips. His
rftfe~Iav on his knees Almost i'm
psrceptibly he moved it moved it
again. froze stiff as Kloon spat, then,
bv infnitesimal degrees, continued 10
edge the muzzle toward Kloon.
s4Jake7"
saw. shut your head" grumbled
Kaoon disdainfully. You allus was
dirty rat-you sneakin' trap rob
bsr. Enogh's enough. amt got
nc use for no billion million dollar
hnls. Ten thousand'n buy me all
c7llate to need till I'm planted. But
you're like a hawk; YOU amt never
had enough O. nothin' and you won't
never git enough, neither-not II you
vpz God a mighty you wouldn't"
s'Ten thousand dollars hain't
nothin' 10 q billion million. Jake"
.Kloon squirited stream Of to-
bsoco at a pitcher-plant and filed
tlfe cup. Diverted and gratihed by
t11t8 accuracy Of his aim, he took
oa1er shots at intervals
L.everett moved the muzzle of his
rife a hairs width 10 the left. shiv-
ered. moved it again. Under his
scgcv. sun-tanned skin a pallor
nade his visage sickly gray.
s'Jake2"
DO answer.
f'Say, Jake?
sNo notice.
s'Jake. I wanta take a peek at
tfem bills"
sMerely another stream OF tobacco
siding the crimson pitcher.
fiIm-I'm desprit. I gotta take a
peek. gptta-gotta--"
Gomething IN Leverett's unsteady
v@ce made Kloon turn his head.
3'You gol raramed fool" he said,
"what you doin' with your"
,The loud detonation OF the rife
panctuotsd KIoon's inquiry with
H3ai period. The big. eoft-nosed
bullet st-saok siin1 full IN the facs. |
splling his brains ana part OF tis
skull down his back, and knocking /
hh fat as though ne Aad beer
dubbed.
Ieyere.t. staane3. sat s,arli:g. no
t.onless. clatching the rife from the
muzzle % which delicate stain Of
vapor foated and disappeared
fhrough rosy bar OF sunshine