South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-10-16
The The FLAMING JEWEL

tearing mOuthtul from EnaWed
tobacco Plug and showing the re-
mainder deep into his trousers
pocket
I'VE gotta travel piece, yet.
say. Jake. be YOU man or be
YOU a poor dumb critter what amt
got no spunk?"
Kloon, chewing on his cud. turned
and glanced at him. Then he spat,
IS answer
IF YOU got the spunH OF chip
munk YOU and nell take a peek at
shat there packet. I bet YOU it's
thousand-dollar bills-more'n a bill
lion million dollars, likely"
Klo0u's logged silence continued.
Leverett licked his dry lips. His
rifle lay on his knees. Almost inn
percepubly he moved il. moved 10
again, froze stiff as Kloon sTat, then.
by infinbesimal degrees, continued
20 edge the muzzle toward Kloon
"Jake?"
law, shut your head" grumbled
kloon disdainfully. You allus was
a dirty rat-you sneakin' trap rob
ber Enough's enough. I amt got
bills. Ten thousand'u buy me all
caTlate TO. need till I'm planted. But
you're like q hawg; YOU amt never
had enough o. nothin' and YOU won't
never git enough. neNher-nOt If
YOU WIZ God Almighty you
wouldn't"
Ten thousand dollars halnt
nothin TO a billion million. Jake"
Kloon squirted a stream Of to-
bacco at a pitcher-plant and filled
the cup. Diverted and gratided by
the accuracy of his aim. he took
other shots at intervals.
Leverett moved the muzzle OF his
rifle a hairs width 10 the left. shiv-
cred. moved IL again. Under his
sogcy. sun-tanned skin a pallor
made his visage sickly gray.
"Jake?"
No answer.
"Say. Jake 2"
80 notice.
"Jaks. 7 wanta take a peek at
them bills"
Merely another stream of tobacco
so.Urs the crimson pitcher.
"Im-Tm desprit. I gotta take a
peek. I gotta
Something i'm Leverett's unsteady
voice made Kloon turn his head.
You gol rammed fool" he said.
What YOU doln' with your
The loud detonauor OF the rifle
puuctuated Kloon's inquiry with
final period. The big soft-nosed
buffet struck HIM full in the face.
splitting his brains and part of his
skull down his back, and knocking
him Eat as though ne had been
dubbed
Ievcrett. stunned. sat staring, mo-
uoulcss. clutchins the rifle from the
1uzzle OF which "a delicate stain Of
vapor foated and disappeared
through rosy bar OF sunshine.
In the intense stulues OF The
place. suddenly the dead man made
q sound. and the trap-rob5er nearly
tainted
But !t was only air escaping from
the slowly collansing lungs: and
Leverett, ashy pale. shaking got 10
his feet and leaned heavily against
am oak tree. his eyes never stirring
from the sprawNng thing On the
ground
II 10 were q minute or year he
stood there he could never have
reckOncd the space Of time The
suns level rays glimmered ruddy
through the woods 4 green fiv a7-
pearcd. buzzing about the dead mar.
Another zig-zagged through the sun
shine laC.ng * with streaks OF green
ish fire. Others appeared whirling
Eyraung. fling the silence with
their humming And still Leverett
dared not bulge dared not search
the dead and take from il that for
which the dead had died
a little breeze came by and stirred
the bushy hair on Kioon's head and
flttered the ferns around him where
he lay.
Then near in the ferns the with
srlng fronds twitched. and a red
squirrel saruES his startling alarm.