Quintana crawl through I'll kill _him,_ too. ... G'wanhome, girlie. I gotta mosey -- I gotta kinda loaf around f'r aspell----"
"Dad, I want you to come back with me---"
"You go home; you hear me, Eve? Tell Corny and Dick Berry to hook itfor Owl Marsh and stop the Star Peak trails -- both on 'em. ... Can Sidand Jimmy walk?"
"Jim can't---"
"Well, let Harve take him on his back. You go too. You help fix Jimmyup at the house. He's a little fella, Jimmy Hastings is. Harve cantote him. And you go along----"
"Dad, Quintana says he means to kill you! What is the use of hurtinghim? You have what he took----"
"I gotta have more'n he took. But even that ain't enough. He couldn'tpay for all he ever done to me, girlie. ... I'm aimin' to draw him onsight---"
Clinch's set visage relaxed into an alarming smile which flickered,faded, died in the wintry ferocity of his eyes.
"Dad----"
"G'wan home!" he interrupted harshly. "You want that Hastings boy tobleed to death?"
She came up to him, not uttering a word, yet asking him with all thetenderness and eloquence of her eyes to leave this blood-trail where itlay and hunt no more.
He kissed her mouth, infinitely tender, smiled; then, again prim andscowling:
"G'wan home, you little scut, an' do what I told ye, or, by God, I'llcut a switch that'll learn ye good! Never a word, now! On yer way!G'wan!"
* * * * *
Twice she turned to look back. The second time, Clinch was slowlywalking into the woods straight ahead of him. She waited; saw him goin; waited. After a while she continued on her way.
When she sighted the men below she called to Blommers and Dick Berry:
"Dad says you're to stop Star Peak trail by Owl Marsh."
Jimmy Hastings sat on a log, crying and looking down at his deadbrother, over whose head somebody had spread a coat.
Blommers had made a tourniquet for Jimmy out of a bandanna and a peeledstick.
The girl examined it, loosened it for a moment, twisted it again, andbade Harvey Chase take him on his back and start for Clinch's.
The boy began to sob that he didn't want his brother to be left outthere all alone; but Chase promised to come back and bring him in beforenight.
Sid Hone came up, haggard from pain and loss of blood, resting hismangled hand in the sling of his cartridge-belt.
Berry and Blommers were already starting across toward Owl Marsh; andthe latter, passing by, asked Eve where Mike was.
"He went into Drowned Valley by the upper outlet," she said.
"He'll never find no one in them logans an' sinks," muttered Chase,squatting to hoist Jimmy Hastings to his broad back.
"I guess he'll be over Star Peak side by sundown," nodded Blommers.
Eve watched him slouching off into the woods, followed sullenly byBerry. Then she looked down at the dead man in silence.
"Be you ready, Eve?" grunted Chase.
She turned with a heavy heart to the home trail; but her mind waspassionately with Clinch in the spectral forests of Drowned Valley.
* * * * *
II
And Clinch's mind was on her. All else -- his watchfulness, hisstealthy advance -- all the alertness of eye and ear, all the subtlety,the cunning, the infinite caution -- were purely instinctive mechanics.
Somewhere in this flooded twilight of gigantic trees was Jose Quintana.Knowing that, he dismissed that fact from his mind and turned histhoughts to Eve.
Sometimes his lips moved. They usually did when he was arguing with Godor calling his Creator's attention to the justice of his case. His_two_ cases -- each, to him, a cause celebre; the matter of Harrod; theaffair of Quintana.
Many a time he had pleaded these two causes before the Most High.
But now his thoughts were chiefly concerned with Eve -- with the problemof her future -- his master passion -- this daughter of the dead wife hehad loved.
He sighed unconsciously; halted.
"Well, Lord," he concluded, in his wordless way, "my girlie has gottahave a chance if I gotta go to hell for it. That's sure as shootin'.... Amen."
At that instant he saw Quintana.
Recognition was instant and mutual. Neither man stirred. Quintana wasstanding beside a giant hemlock. His pack lay at his feet.
Clinch had halted -- always the mechanics! -- close to a great ironwoodtree.
Probably both men knew that they could cover themselves before the othermoved a muscle. Clinch's small, light eyes were blazing; Quintana'sblack eyes had become two slits.
Finally: "You -- dirty -- skunk," drawled Clinch in his agreeablymisleading voice, "by Jesus Christ I got you now."
"Ah -- h," said Quintana, "thees has happen ver' nice like I expec'. ...Always I say myse'f, yet a little patience, Jose, an' one day you shallmeet thees fellow Clinch, who has rob you. ... I am ver' thankful to thegood God----"
He had made the slightest of movements: instantly both men were behindtheir trees. Clinch, in the ferocious pride of woodcraft, laughedexultingly -- filled the dim and spectral forest with his roar oflaughter.
"Quintana," he called out, "you're a-going to cash in. Savvy? You'rea-going to hop off. An' first you gotta hear why. 'Tain't for thestuff. Naw! I hooked it off'n you; you hooked it off'n me; now I gotit again. _That's_ all square. ... No, 'tain't _that_ grudge, yougreen-livered whelp of a cross-bred, still-born slut! No! It's becuzyou laid the heft o' your dirty little finger onto my girlie. 'N' nowyou gotta hop!"
Quintana's sinister laughter was his retort. Then: "You damfoolClinch," he said. "I got in my pocket what you rob of me. Now I killyou, and then I feel ver' well. I go home, live like some kings; yes.But you," he sneered, "you shall not go home never no more. No. Youshall remain in thees damn wood like ver' dead old rat that is allwormy. ... He! I got a million dollaire -- five million franc in mypocket. You shall learn what it cost to rob Jose Quintana!Understan'?"
"You liar," said Clinch contemptuously, "I got them jools in my pantspocket.----"
Quintana's derisive laugh cu him short: "I give you thee Flaming Jewelif you show me you got my gems in you pants pocket!"
"I'll show you. Lay down your rifle so's I see the stock."
"First you, my frien' Mike," said Quintana cautiously.
Clinch took his rifle by the muzzle and shoved the stock into view sothat Quintana could see it without moving.
To his surprise, Quintana did the same, then coolly stepped a paceoutside the shelter of his hemlock stump.
"You show me now!" he called across the swamp.
Clinch stepped into view, dug into his pocket, and, cupping both hands,displayed a glittering heap of gems.
"I wanted you should know who's gottem" he said, "before you hop. It'llgive you something to think over in hell."
Quintana's eyes had become slits again. Neither man stirred. Then:
"So you are a buzzard, eh, Clinch? You feed on dead man's pockets, eh?You find Sard somewhere an' you feed." He held up the morocco case,emblazoned with the arms of the Grand Duchess of Esthonia, and shook itat Clinch.
"In there is my share. ... Not all. Ver' quick, now, I take yours,too----"
Clinch vanished and so did his rifle; and Quintana's first bullet struckthe moss where the stock had rested.
"You black crow!" jeered Clinch, laughing, "-- I need that empty case ofyours. And I'm going after it. ... But it's because your filthy clawtouched my girlie that you gotta hop!"
Twilight lay over the phantom wood, touching with pallid tints theflooded forest.
So far only that one shot had been fired. Both men were stillmanoeuvering, always creeping in circles and always lining some greattree for shelter.
Now, the gathering dusk was making them bolder and swifter; and twice,already, Clinch caught the shadow of a fading edge of something thatvanished against the shadows too swiftly for a shot.
Now Quintana, keeping a tree in line, brushed with his little back aleafy moose
-bush that stood swaying as he avoided it.
Instantly a stealthy hope seized him: he slipped out of his coat, spreadit on the bush, set the naked branches swaying, and darted to his tree.
Waiting, he saw that grey blot his coat made in the dusk was stillmoving a little -- just vibrating a little bit in the twilight. Hetouched the bush with his rifle barrel, then crouched almost flat.
Suddenly the red crash of a rifle lit up Clinch's visage for a fractionof a second. And Quintana's bullet smashed Clinch between the eyes.
* * * * *
After a long while Quintana ventured to rise and creep
The Flaming Jewel Page 33
