, 1922-10-17

EPISODE SIX.
The Jewel AnEmo


CHAPTER I
Mike Clinch and his men rove
STIR Peak. and drew a wet blanket
covert.
ThEre was n new shanty atop.
ramp debris. plenty Of signs OF re-
cent occupation eveywherS-hot en-
he's in which offal stn smouldered,
bottles odorous OF claret dregs. and
an aluminium culinary outfit, un.
washed. as though Quintana and his
men had departed in haste
FIR in the still valley below. Mike
Cinch squatted beside the runway
he n chosen. a cooked rifle across
his knees
And. as C1inch squatted thsre. muir
derously intent. ever III fixed obses-
sion burned in his fever brain. STIR
ring his thin lips to incessant mutter.
ing-n sort Of soundless invocation.
part chronicle, part prayer:
20 God Almighty in you big. swell
mansion up there, all has went con.
trary with me sense you lot that theirs
damn millionaire. Haired. come into
this here forest He went and built
unto himself n inhabltation. and he
put up a wall Of law all orund me
where I was earnin' lawful Twin in
Thy nice, clear Wilderness. And
now come this here Quintann and robs
my girdle 1 promised her mother
ia make a lady Of her little Eve.
/ loved my wife, o Lord. . . Once
she showed me a piece in the Bible
i amt never found it sense-but Il
said: And the woman she fled into
the wilderness where thera was q
place prepared for heer of God.
That's what you wtote into your
own Bible. o Godi You can't go back
on It. I seen IT.
And now I wanta ask. What place
aid you prepare Tor my Ever What
spot have you reference tor You
didn't e my Dump did you
Why, Lord. that amt no place for
no lady. 80. And now Quintana
has went and robbed me Of what I'd
saved up for Eve. Does hat &c
with Thee. o Lord7 No. It don't And
it don't go with me. neither. I'm
agoin' to git Quintana- Then Tn
s-goin' to git them two minks thai
robbed my girlie@ ami =
Jake Kloon, he dom IT in cahoots with
Earl Leverett, and ountana set 'em
on.
A far crash in HI forest stfled his
twitching lips and stiffened every
iron muscle.
As he lifted his rife. Sid Hone cams
into the glade.
"Yahoo, Yahoor he called.
where be you, Mike"
Clinch slowly rose. grasping his
rifle. his small gray ayes ablaze.
Where's Quintana?" he demanded
"H'ain't you seen nobody?"
No"
ono by one the men who had
driven Star Peak iounged up in the
red Eunset light gathering around
Clinoh and wipsng the sweat from
sun reddened faces.
We'll" inquired Jim Tasting,
finallw. do we quit, Mike, or do we
still hunt in Drowned Valley"
Not me, at night" remarked Blom.
mers drily.
not amongst them -ink.holes,'
aided Hone.
Suddenly Cinch turned and stared
at him. Then the deadly light from
his little eyes shone on the others
n by one.
Boys" lie said. IT gotta get ouin.
tana- 7 can't never sleep another
wink TIL 1 get that man. Come on.
Act up like gents all. Let's CO."
The Hastings boys. young and rash.
shufned into the traiIl Blommers
~hesitated. glanced askance at Clinch,
and instantly made up his mind to
take a chance with the sink holes
rather than with Clinch.
God Almighty. Mike. what be you
Amin TO do?" faltered Harvey.
I'm amin to stop the inlet and
outlet to Drowned Valley. Harve."
replied Clinch in his pleasant voics
God is a-goin' 20 deliver Qulntana
into my hands"
"All right. What next?r
Then" continued Ciinch. 81 cal.
late to set down and wait"
How long,"
ASK God. boys. I don't know.
An I know is that whatever 4 slivin'
IN Drowned Valley at this hour has
gotta live and die there. For It can't
never live to come outen tina there
morass weikin INTO two legs like a
real man."
CHAPTER II.
Clinch had not taken a dozen strides
before Hal Smith doomed up ahead
in tho rosy dusk, driving in Lever.
EFT before him.
An e~xciS.natioa Of fierce exnltstion
burst from Clineh's thin lips as he
nunE oat n arm. indicating Smith
and his siinking prisoner.