Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-10-30
Continued from our last issue)
EPISODE NINE
The Forest and Mr.. Sard
CHAPTER /

CHAPTER l
When at last Jose Quintana had
secured what he had been after for
years, his troubles really began.
In his pocket he had two million
4 dollars worth of gems, including the
Planning Jewel.
But he vas in the middle of a
Wilderness ringed in by hostile men,
and obliged to rely for aid on a
handful of the most desperate Grim
inals in Europe.
Another matter worried Jose
Quintana: he was not only short on
provisions, but what remained was
cached in Drowned Valley; and
Mike Clinch and his men were
guarding every outlet to that SIMS
ter region. excepting only the rocky
( and submerged trail by which he
had made his exit.
Now, how TO keep his loot; how to
/. get back to Europe with it, was the
problem that confronted Q%uintana
! after robbing Darragh. And he de-
termined to settle part Of that ques-
ton ct once.
About i've miles from Harrod
Place, within a hundred rods of
which he had held up Hal Smith,
Quintana halted, seated himself on
a rotting log. and waited until his
men came up and gathered around
him.
For a little while, in utter silence,
his keen eyes travelled from one
visage to the next. from Henri
Picquet to Victor Georgiades, to
Sanchez, to Sard. His intent scru-
tiny focused on Sard; fingered.
IL there were anybody he might
trust, a little way, it would be Sard.
Then a polite, untroubled smile
srnoothed the pale, dark features of
Jose Quintana:
"Bien, messieurs, the coup has
been success. Yes? Yer well; in
turn, then, en- accord with III Gus
tom, I shall dispose myself to listen
to your good advice"
He looked at Henri Picquet,
smiled and nodded invitation to
speak.
Picquet shrugged: "For me, mon
capitaine, eet ees YER simple. We
are five. Therefore, divide into five
re gems. After Eat, each one for
himself to make his way out"
mick Salzar and Harry Beck are
in the Drowned Valley" interrupted
Quintana.
Picquet shrugged again; Sanchez
laughed, saying: "If they are there
1t is their misfortune. Also, we
others are in a hurry"
Picquet added: also five shares
are sufficient division"
1T is propose, then, that we
abandon our comrades Beck and
Salzar to the rifle of Mike Clinch?"
why not?" demanded Georgia
des sullenly-"we shall have worse
to face before we see the Place de
rOpera."
There remains. also, Eddie Alb
rams remarked Quintana.
Crooks never betray their attor-
ney. Everybody expressed a willing
ness to have the five shares of
plumber properly assessed to satisfy
The fee due to Mr.. Abrams.
Yer we'll" nodded Quintana,
"are you satisfy. messieurs, to
divide an disperse 2"
sard said, heavily, that they
ought to stick together until they
arrived in New York.
Sanchez sneered, accusing Sard
Of wanting a bodyguard to escort
him to his W home. "In this &C.
cursed forest" he insisted, five of
Is would attract attention where
enc alone, with sufficient stealth,
slip through into the open
country"
1.-TWO by two is better" said
Picquet. "You, Sanchez. shall
.ravel alone If you desire
divide the gems first" growled
land then let each do
what pleases him"
THAT" nodded Quintana," is also
my opinion. 1t is SO settle. Atten-
Two pistols were in his hands
as by magic With a slight smile
he laid them on the moss beside
him.
He then spread a large white
handkerchief on the ground: and,
from his pockets, he poured out the
glittering cascade. Yet, like a feed
ing panther, every sense remained
alert to the slightest sound or move
Inent elsewhere; and when Georgi-
grunted from excess emotion,
right hand held a pistol
before the grunt had ceased.
1t was a serious business, this
of loot; every reckless