Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-11-08
CONTINUED from our last issue)
CHAPTER III

ing her emotion, she walked oNSR ~
the pack, placed Quintana's rifle ano
msckinaw in 1t. eoolly hoisted II &c
her shoulders and buckled 1t there
over her shoulder she kept an eye
on Quintana who crouched where
he had fallen, unstirring. his deadly
eyes watching her.
She placed the muzzle of her rifle
against his stomach, rested II SO
holding it with one hand. and her
finger at the trigger.
At her brief order he turned out
both breeches pockets. She herselI
stopped and drew the Spanish clasp
knife from its sheath at his belt
took a pistol from the hostler, an
other out of his hip pocket. Reach
ing UP and behind her. she dropped
these into the pack.
Maybe" she said slowly, your
ankle is broken. I'll send somebody
from Ghost Lake to find you. But
whether you've a broken bone or
not you'll not go very far, Quin-
tana. . After I'm gone you'll be
able to free yourself. But you can't
get away. You'll be followed AND
caught. . So if you can walk at
all you'd better go In to Ghost Lake
or staryation. you've got a
watch. :. . Don't stir or touch that
trap for half an hour. . And
that's all"
AS h moved away toward the
Drowned Valley trail she looked
hack at him. His face was blood
less but his black eyes blazed.
IF ever you come into this forest
again." she said, my father will
surely kill you"
To her horror Q~uintana slowly
-.;--zl - IN- Ttan cti11 O~rinninQ
he placed the forefinger of his left
hand between his teeth and bit it.
Whatever he meant by the ges-
ture it seemed unclean, horrible:
and the girl hurried on, seized with
an overwhelming loathing through
which a sort Of terror pulsated like
evil premonition in a heavy n
tortured heart.
Straight into the fire of dawn she
sped. A pale primrose light glim-
mered through the woods; trees.
bushes. underground turned a dusky
purple. Already the few small
clouds overhead were edged with
fiery rose.
Then, Of a sudden, a shaft of
flame played over the forest. The
sun had risen.
Fastening, she searched the soft
path for any imprint Of her fathers
foot. And even in the vain search
she hoped to find him at home
hurried on burdened with two rifles
and a pack, still all nervous and
a~cquiver from her encounter with
Quintana.
Surely, surely, she thought. if he
had missed Quintana in Drowned
Valley he would not linger in that
CHASTITY place; he'd come home, call
in his men, take counsel perhaps
Mist over Star Pond was dis
solving to a golden powder in the
binding glory of the sur. The
eastern window-panes in Clinch's
Dump glittered as though the rooms
inside were all on fire.
Down through withered weeds
and scrub she hurried. ran across
the grass to the kitchen door which
swung ajar under its porch.
Dad" she called. "Dad!"
Only her own frightened voice
echoed in the empty house. She
climbed the stairs to his room. The
bed lay undisturbed as she had
made it. He was not in any of the
rooms; there were no signs Of him.
Slowly she descended to the
Kitchen. He was not there. The food
she had prepared for him had be-
come cold on a chilled range.
For a long while she stood staring
through the window at the sunlight
outside. Probably, since Quintana
had eluded him, he'd come home for
something to eat. . . . Surely. now
that Quintana had escaped. Clinch
would come back for breakfast.
Eve slipped the pack from her
back and laid it on the kitchen
table. There was kindling in the
wood-box. She shook down the Gin
ders, laid a fire, soaked it with
isrosene. lighted 1t, filed the kettle
VIVA fresh water.
In sAe .pantry she cut some ham,
snd found eggs. condensed milk.
butter bread, and an apple pie.
After She had ground the coffee she
placed all these on a tray and car
ried them into the kitchen.
Now there was nothing more to
DO until her father came, and she
sat down by the kitchen table to
wait.
Outside the sunlight was becom-
ing warm and vivid. There had
been no frost after all-or, at most,
merely a white trace in the shadow
.-on a fallen plank here and there
but not enough to freeze the
ground. And, in the sunshine. it
all quickly turned to dew, and gilt
tered and sparkled in a million hues
and tints like gems-like that hand
full of jewels she had poured into
her fathers Joined palms-yester-
Gay-there at the ghostly edge of
Drowned Valley.
AT the memory, and quite me-
chemically. she turned in her chair
and drew Quintana's basket pack
toward her.
First she lifted out his rife, ex-
amined it, set it against the window
sill. Then, one by one, she drew
out two pistols. loaded; the murder
GUS Spanish c~lasp-knife; an ak; a
fry-pan and a tin pail, and the roll
ed-up mackinaw.
Under these the pack seemed to
contain nothing except food and
ammunition; staples in sacks and a
few cans-lard, salt, tea-such
things.
The cartridge boxes she piled up
on the table; the food she tossed
into a tin swill bucket.
About the effects of this man 1t
seemed to her as though something
unclean fingered. She could scarce
ly bear to handle them-chrew them
from her with disgust.
The garment, also-the heavy
brown and green mackinaw-she
disliked to touch. To throw 1t out
doors was her intention: but, as she
lifted the coat, 1t unrolled and some
things fell from the pockets to the
kitchen table-money, keys, a
watch. q fiat leather case
She looked stupidity at the case.
II had q coat of arms emblazoned