, 1922-10-15
BEGIN HERE ID

hosrded IT for the education OF bis
beautiful stepdaughter.
EVE sTRATER. Two men wanted
10 secure the jewel from cInch. One
was
JAMES DARRAGE. who had sworn
to restore the gem TO the beggard
countess; the other was the ruth
les Quintana. Both arrive at
Ciinch's disreputabie hotel OAR
ragh under h name OF
HAL SMITH. Eve escapes from
Quintans. who captures her and
threatens her with torture. or her
return 10 the camp she drops the
packet and II ia ssizsd by two Of
clinch's men who have gone over
20 ouintanA These e
JAKE KLooN and
EARL LEvERETT. Clinch starts out
to wipe out ouintsna's gang and
with them. Rloop and Leverett.
Go on with the story
Episode Five
Drowned Valley
CHAPTER ]
The soft. blush forest shadows hAd
heightened, and the barred sun-rays.
filterlng through, were tinged with a
rosy hue before Jake Kloon, the
hooteh runner. and Earl Leverett.
trap thief, came to Drowned Valley.
They were stili a mile distant from
the most touthern edge OF that vast
desolation, u already tsmarscks OPP
peared in the beauty OF their burnt
gold; little pools giimmered here and
there; patches of amber sphagnum and
crimson pitcher-pients became FIRE
quent; and ono or twice Kloon's big
boots broke through the crust OF fal
len leaves. soaking him to the ankles
with black silt.
Leverett. always a coward. had pur-
sued his devious and larcenous way
through the world. always in deadly
fear OF sink holes.
His movements Inc paths were
those OF a weasel. preferrinE alwa,-s
solid ground; hut he lacked the cour-
age Of that inuous little beast, thoueh
he possessed all OF it's ferocity NJ far
more cunning.
He looked al the hack OF Kioon's
Nass.ve head. One shot would blow
that skull into fragments, he thought,
shivering.
One shot from behind-and twenty
thousand dolisrs-or. II it proved a
better deal. the contents OF the packet.
For, If QuintanR's bribery had dazzled
them. what effect might the contents
of that secret packet have II revealed?
There might easily be half a million
IN bills pressed together in that heavy,
lat packet. Bills were absolutely safe
plumber. But Kloon had turned n
deaf a TO his Experimentation
who never entertained ambitions be-
yond his hootch rake-off-whose mis-
erabie imagination stopped at a
yretched percentage, satisfied.
Tamaracks. sphagnum, crimson
pitcher-plants grew thicker; wet woods
set with little black pools stretched
away on every side.
It was still nearly a mile from
Drowned Valley when Jake Kloon
halted in his tracks and seated him
self on a narrow ridge OF hard ground.
And Leverett came lightly up and.
after nosIng the whole vicinity. sat
down cautiously where Kloon would
a TO turn partly around to ooh at
him. +
Where the hell do we meet up with
Quintana?" growled K1oon, tearing a
mouthful from a gnawed tobacco plug
and showing the remainder deap into
his trouser pocket.
we gotta travel a piece, yet. . -.
Say, Jake. be you a man or be you a
poo dumb critter wlsat amt got no
spunk7"
loon. chewing on his cud. turned
and Glanced az him Thar ha znaf : e
answer.
IF you got the spunk Of a chip
munk you and neil take a peek at
that there packet. ] bet you it's thou
sand-doilar bills-more'n a billion mil
lion dollars, likely"
Kloon's doggsd Silence continued.
Leverett licked his dry lips. His rifle
lay on his knees. Almost imperceptib-
iy he moved it. moved 1t again, froEe
stir as Kloon spat. then, by infinitesi-
NAL degrees, continued to edge the
muzzle toward Kloon.
'Jake?"
"Aw. shut your head" srumbled
Kloon disdainfully. You allus was a
dirty rat-you sneak'n trap robber.
Enough's enoubh. I amt get no use
for no billion million dollar bills. Ten
thousand1l buy mo all 1 cai'ate TO
need TIL I'm planted. But you're like
q hawE; you amt never had enough
o. nothin' and you won't never git
enough, neither-not II you wuz God
s'mighty you wouldn't"
Ten thousand dollars hain't noth,n'
10 a billion million. Jake"
Kloor squirted a stream of tobacco
at a pitcher-plant and filled the cup.
Diverted and gratified by the accuracy
Of his aim. he took other shots at in
tervals.
Leverett moved the muzzle OF his
rifle a hairs width &c the left. shiv-
bred. moved It again. Under his soggy.
~sun-tanned skin a paiior made his vis-
6 s!ckly gray.
Jake"
No answer.
Say, Jake
No notice.
Jake. I wanta take a peek at them
bills"