New Britain herald., 1922-11-06
EPISODE ELEVEN. The Place Of Pines.
CHAPTER |.

The last sound that Mike Clinch heard on earth was the detonation of his own rife, Probably 1t was an agreeable sound 10 him. He lay there with pleasant expression on his massive features. His watch had fallen out of his pocket.
 Quintana shined him with an cleo tric torch; picked up the watch. Then, holding the torch in one hand he went through the dead mans pockets very thoroughly,
 When Qunitana had finished, both trays of the fiat morocco case were full of jewels. And Quintana was full of wonder and suspicion.
 Unquietly he looked upon the dead --upon the gittering contents of the jewel -box-but always his gaze re- verted to the dead. The faintest shadow Of smile edged Clinch's lips. Quintana's lips grew graver. He said slowly, like one who does his thinking aloud:
 What is 1t you have done to me, l'ami Clinch? Are there truly then two sets of precious stones ?- two Flaming Jewes?-two gems of Erosite like there never has been in all thees worl' excep' only two more? .A'. Or is one set false? Have I here one set of paste facsim- lies? My frien' Clinch, why , do you lie there an smile at me so yer funny like you are amuse? .. am wondering what you have done to me, my frien' Clinch. Y
 For a while he remained kneeling beside the dead. Then: "Ah. ball." he said, pocketing the morocco case and getting to his feet.
 He moved little way toward the open trail stopped, came back, stood his rife against a tree.
 For while he was busy with his sharp Spanish clasp knife. whiting and fitting together two peeled twigs. A cross was the ultimate result. Then he placed Clinch's hands palm to palm upon his chest, laid the cross on his breast. and shined the result with complacency.
 Then Quintana took off his hat.
 'L'ami Mike," he. said, you were . man! .. Adios!"
 The night had turned frosty. Quintana, wet to the knees and very tired, moved slowly. not daring to leave the trail because of sink holes.
 What he had to have was fire; he realized that. Somewhere off the trial, in big timber If possible, he must build fire aud master this deadly chill that was slowly para lyzing all power of movement.
 At last he came to place of pines, first growth giants towering Into night, and, looking up, saw stars, 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. He cold not have crooked finger to trigger
 For long time he sat close to | the blaze, slowly massaging his tor pid limbs, but did not dare strip of his foot-gear.
 Later he. ate and drank languidly, looking up at the stars, speculating as to the possible presence of Mike Clinch up there.
 What chase Clinch had led him after the Flaming Jewel And now Clinch lay dead in the forest-faintly smiling. At what?
 In very low. passionless voice, Quintana cursed monotonously as he gazed into the fire. In Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, he cursed. Clinch. After little while he re- membered Clinch's daughter, and he cursed her, elaborately, thoroughly. wishing her black mischance awake and asleep. living or dead.
 Presently Quintana slept after his own fashion-that is to say, looking closely at him one could discover Elimmer under his lowered eyelids. And he listened always in that kind of sleep. As though a shadowy part of him were detached from his body and mounted guard over it.
 The inaudible movement of wood- mouse venturing into the firelit circle awoke Quintana Again a dropping leaf amid distant birches awoke him, Such things. And so he slept, with wet feet to the fire and his rifle across his knees; and dreamed of Eve and of murder, and that the Flaming Jewel was but a mass of glass
 At that, moment the girl of whose white throat Quintana was dreaming, and whining faintly in his dreams, stood alone outside Clinch's Dump, rife in hand, listening. fighting the