South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-06
tContinued From Our Last Issue
The Place OF Pines.
CHAPTER I
The

heard on earth was the detonation
Of his own rifle. Probably - was az
agreeable sound 90 him. He Jay there
with pleasant expression on his
massive features His watch had fall
len out Of his pocket.
Quintana shined him with an cleo
trio torch; picked up the watch.
Then holding the torch in one
hand. ne went through the dead
mans pockets very thoroughly.
When Quintana had finished both
trays Of the fiat morocco case Were
full OF Jewels. And Quirtana was
full OF wonder and suspicion.
Unquietly he looked upon the
dead-upon the giittering contents
OF the Jewel box-but always his,
gaze reverted 20 the dead The faint
est shadow OF a smile edged Chnch's
lips. Quintana's lips grew grayer. He
Raid slowly. Ike one who does MS
thinking aloud:
What is It you have done 70 me,
lami Clinch2. Are there truly
then two sets Of precious stones2-
two Flaming Jewels2-two gems OF
Erosite like there never has been in
all theeS WORT excep' only two
more2. or is one set false?.
Have I here one set o. paste facsimi
lies? My frien' Clinch. why
dc you lie there an smile az me
90 YER funny like YOU are
amuse2. am wondering what
YOU have done 70 me, my frien'
Cunch. d"
For a while he remained kneehns
beside the dead. Then: "Ah. bah.
he said. pocketing the morocco case
md getting 70 his feet.
He moved a little way toward the
open trail stopped. came back stood
his rifle against a tree.
For a while he was busy with his
sharp Spanish clasp knife, whiting
and hitting together two peeled
twigs. A cross was the ultimate re-
suit Then he placed Clinch's hands
palm 10 palm upon his chest. laid
The cross on his breast and shined
the result with complacency.
Then Quin.ana took off his hat.
"Lami Mike" he SAID, you were
a man, .Ajios"
The night had turned frosty.
Ouintana. wet 20 tho knees and very
tired. moved slowly. not daring TO
leave the trail because Of sink-holes.
what he had 10 have was a FIRE:
he realized that. Somewhere off the
trail. I'm big tim Der n possible, he
must build a fire and master this
deadly chill that was slowly paraly-
ling all power OF movement.
A Ea 70 a ~ n
pines. first growth giants towering
into night and looking up saw
s ars, infinitely distant. where
perhaps those things called souls
drifted like wisps OF vapor.
When the fire took. Quintana' s
thin dark hands had become nearly
useless from cold. lie could not
have crooked finger 20 trigger.
For a long time he sat close TO
tine blaze, slowly massaging his
torpid limbs. but did not dare strip
Oft his foot gear.
Later he ate and drank languidly
looking up at the stars, specializing
as 20 the possible presence Of Mike
Chnch up there.
What a chase Clinch had led him
after the Flaming Jewel. And now
Cunch lay dead in the forest-faint
ly smiling. At what?
In a very low. psssionless voice
Quintana cursed mOnOtonOusly as
ne Eazed into the FIRE. In Spanish
French. Portuguese, Italian. he
cursed Clinch After q little while h.
remembered Clinch's daughter. and
he cursed her. deliberately. thor
ough1y. wishing her black mis-
chance awake and sleep. living ~
dead
Presently Quiutana slept after his
own fashion-that is 10 say. looking
closely at him one could discover a
simmer under his lowered eyelids
And ne listened always in that kind
OF sleep. As though a shadowy part
Of him were detached from HIS body.
and mounted guard over K.
The inaudible movement or a
vood-mouse venturinC into the FIRE
III circle awoke Quintana. Again a
dropping leaf amid distant birohes
swoke him. such things. And so he
slept with wet feet 70 the fire and
his rifle across his knees; and
dreamed or Eve and OF murder and
hat the Flaming Jewel was but c
mass OF glass
At that moment the girl OF whose
white throat Quintana was dream
ing. and whining family i'm his
dreams sttod alone outside Chnch' s
dump. rife IN hand. listening, fight
her slender body at times-seemed
10 touch her very heart with frost.
Cnnch's men had gone on 20
y -taN ~r-,.,~InH =
dead, where there was filter shell
.er for both. All had gone on: no
body remained 90 await Clinch's
homecoming except I've Strayer.
= was not yet dawn but the girl
could endure the strain no longer.
with electric torch and rife she
-.arted for the forest almost run
ming az fret among the first trees.
moving with caution and in silence
4Ionx the trail over which Clnch
should long since have journeyed
homeward
Blu. nowhere could she discover
any impression resembling her step
father's-that great firm stride and
solid imprint which so often she had
tracked through moss and swale and
which she knew so well.
Once when she got up from her
knees after close examination OF the
muddy trail, she became aware OF
the slightest faint in the night air
stood with delicate nostrils auiver-
Unbalanced. SIN conscious OF the
faint. listening. wary. every steathy
Instinct alert
she had not been mistaken:sone-
-
Somewhere a FIRE was burning. II