Evening journal., 1922-10-14
CHAPTER II

came up, he counted them Win
cold eye.
Here's the runway and this here
hazel bush is my station" he said
you fellas do the barkin.' You
sid Hone, and you, Corny. star
drivin' from the west. Harve, you
yelp 'em from the north by Lynn
Brook. Jim and Byron. you get
twenty minutes to go round TO the
eastward and drive by the Slide
And you, Hal Smith," - he looked
around - wherein hell be you
Hal?-"
Smith came up from the bog's
edge.
"send 'em out" he said in a low
voice. i've got Jake's tracks in
the bog"
Clinch motioned his beaters 10
their duty. Twenty minutes" he
reminded Hone. Chase and Blom-
mers, before you start driVin'."
And, 10 the Hastings boys: IF you
shoot, aim low for their bellies.
Don't leave no blood around. Scrape
It up. We bury what we get"
He and Smith stood looking af-
ter the Eve slouching figures NOV
ing away toward their blind trials.
When all had disappeared:
Show me Jake's mark" he said
calmly. 4
Smith led him 10 the edge Of the
bog, lSnelt down. drew aside a branch
Of witch-hopple. A mans footprint
was plainly visible on the mud.
That's Jake" said Ciinch. slowly.
II know them half-soled boots o.
.iis'n" He lifted another branch.
There's another mans trackl"
The other is probably Leverett's."
"Likely. He's got thin feet"
Il think I'd better go after them"
. aid Smith refectively.
They'll plug you. you poor jack
ass-two o. them like that, and one
r-settin' up TO watch out. Hell! Be
you tired o. bed an board7".
Smith smiled; Don't you worry
Nike"
As he shouldered HIS rife and
started into the marsh. Clinch
dropped a heavy hand on his shoul-
der; but the young man shook Il of.
shut up" he said sharply.
You've a private war on your
hands. So have I. I'll take care Of
my own"
As he started again across the
marsh. Clinch called out in a guard
ed voice: Take good care OF that
packet II you catch them rats. Il
belongs 20 Eve"
It'll take such good care OF IT,"
replied Smith. that its proper
owner need not worry"
CHAPTER III
The proper owner" OF the packet
vas, at that moment. on the Atlantic |
Ocean. travelling toward the United
States.
Four other pretended owners OF
the Grand Duchess Theodorica's |
Jewels. totally unconscious OF any
thing impending which might i'm
pair their several titles TO the gems. /
were now gathered together in a
wilderness within a few miles OF one
another.
Jose Quintana lay somewhere in
the forests with his gang. fercely
planning the recovery OF the treas
ure Of which Clinch had once rob
bed him. Clinch squatted on his
runway. watching the mountain
flank with murderous eyes. II was
no longer the Flaming Jewel which
mattered. His master passion ruled
him now. Those who had offered
violence to Eve must be reckoned /
with first of all. The hand that
struck Eve Strayer had offered NOR
tai Insult to Mike Clinch.
As for the third pretender TO the
Flaming Jewel, Jake Kloon. he was
now travelling in a fox's circle to-
ward Drowned Valley--that shaggy
wilderness OF slime and tamarack
and depthless bog which touches
the northwest base OF Star Peak. He l
was not huri ying. having no thought
OF pursuit. Behind him plodded
Leverett. the trap thief. very, very
busy with his own ideas.
To Leverett's repeated requests
that Kloon halt and open the packet
to sec what Il contained, Kloon
grufiy refused.
What do we care what's In III"
he said. I'VE get ten thousand
apiece over our rifles for It from
them guys. Amt II a good enough
Job for your"
Maybe we make more II we take
|
argued Leverett. Lets take a
peek. anyway"
They plodded on, arguing, toward
their rendezvous with Quintana's
outpost on the edge OF Drowned
Valley.
The fourth pretender TO the pearls,
rubies. and great gem called the
Flaming Jewel. stolen from the
young Grand Duchess Theodorica.
of Esthonia by Jose Quintana, was
an unconscious pretender. entirely
innocent OF the role assigned her
by Clinch.
For Eve Strayer had never heard
where the packet came from or
what II contained. All she knew was
that her stepfather had told her that {
Il belonged TO her. And the knowl- $
edge left her injurious I
CHAPTER " I
Eve slept the sleep OF mental and {
exhaustion. Reaction from IL