The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-05
The Ruling Passion.
, CHAPTER

Littt .'5si tOt1Af1Hh
Nobody understood how Jose
Quintana had slipped through the
Secret Service net spread for him
ataeyegy port.
The United States authorities did
not know why Quintana had come
to America. They realized merely
that he. arrived for no good pur.
pose and they had meant to arrest
and hold him for extradItion II re,
qlested: for deportation as an un
desirable alien anyway.
Only two men in America knew
that Quintana had come to the
United States for the purpose OF
recovering the famous "F1amlng
Jewell stolen by him from the
Grand Duchess Theodorica o!
Asthonia; and stolen from ouin.
fannt In turn By private soldier In
an American Forestry Regiment, on
leave In Paris. This soldiers name,
Probably was Michael Clinch.
One OF the men who knew why
9nintans might Come to America
vas James parragh, recently O..
the Military Intelligence, but now
passing as a holI-up man under the
name Of Hal Smith. and actually in
the employment Of Clinch at his
lisrephtable, "hotcl" at Star Pond
N the North Woods.
The other man who knew why
t29intana had come to America was
Emanuel SRrd, Leyantine dla.
mond. broker OF New York, ouin.
tanas agent In America.
Now; as the October days passed
without any report Of Quintana's
attention, Darragh, known as Hal
smith at ciinch's dump, began to
saspeet that ouIntana had alrendy
SID into America through the
neshes Eot tho police.
Itasos this desperate interna-
ional criminal could be expected
NJ elinel's under some guise or
other piloted thither by Emanuel
Social Smith, whose duty wa,
% wash dishes, do chores, and
also TO supply Clinch's with
mountain bee" deer taken
illegaly7-made 1t convenient to
pfowl every day In the vicinity Of
the host Lake Road.
He was perfectly familiar with
Emanuel Sard's squat features
and parrot nose having robbed
Mr,S sard Of Quintantr's cipher anC
$4,000 atJplstol point. And one
morning while rowing around thu
guidels quarters. at Ghost Lak9
Inn Smith heheld Sard himself on
the hotel yeranda, in company
With five strangers Of foreign as
pect
During the midday dinner
Smith, on pretense of inquirine
for guides license, got look al
the inn ledger, Sards' signature
was on 1t, followed by the names
Of Henri Picquet, Nicholas Salzar,
Victor Georglades, Harry Beck,
and Jose Sanchez And Smith
went back through tho wilderness
TO Star Pond; convinced that ono
OF these gentlemen was Qulntana,
and the remainder, QuIntana's
gang; and that they were here to
do murder II necessary in their
remorseless quest OF 1.-THE FlRm-
Ing Jewel" Two million dollars
once had been offered for the
Flaming Jewel; and had been re.
fused.
CHAPTER II
Clineh's dump was the disposal
plant in which collected the hu.
man sewage Of the wilderness. It
being Saturday. the scum OF the
North Woods was gathering at the
Star Pond resort. A venison and
chicken supper was promised =
and dance Il any women appear
= d.
Jake K1oon had run in some
Canadian hootch; Darraugh, alias
z Hal Smith. contributed two fat
deer and Clinch cooked them. By
40 O'clock that morning many Of
the men were growing noisy:
some were already drunk by noon.
Shortly after midday dinner the
fifSt fight started-extinguished
only after Clinch had beaten sew.
uti OF the bSckwoods aristocracy
anbeaRplS,
Towering amid the wreck Of bat
lie! his Light gray eyes a-glitter.
Gitneh dominated, swinging bis
Iron fists.
When the combat ended and the
faIlen lay starkly where they fell,
elineh said in his pleasant, level
voice:
Take them out and stick their
heads IN the pond. And don't go
for to get me mad. boys, or I'm
liable To- act up rough"
They boro forth the Shoppers for
lsnniorBs6ni IN Star Pond. Clinch re.
lighted hsst cigar and repeated the
r1tlngs whieh had caused the fra
tan:
'tYoa gotta play ( square cards
here OF you d61ft play none in my
t.eaes! No living thImbnail can
rick no caEds IN my place and get
away With Il Three kinEs and two
trasY % better than three chiokens
nd Two eggs Y you don't like 4,
gpsn hnm0.
Kstwent out IL his shirt sleeves