that there deer is a-goin' to dielike a deer. ... Anyone seen which way Jake Kloon went?"
"Now you speak of it," said Byron Hastings, "seems like I noticed Jakeand Earl Leverett down by the woods near the pond. I kindadisremembered when you asked, but I guess I seen them."
"Sure," said Sid Hone. "Now you mention it, I seen 'em, too. Thinks Ito m'self, they is pickin' them blackberries down to the crick. Yes, Iseen 'em."
Clinch tossed his rifle across his left shoulder.
"Rats an' deer," he said pleasantly. "Them's the articles we're lookin'for. Only for God's sake be careful you don't mistake a _man_ for 'emin the woods."
One or two men laughed.
* * * * *
On the edge of Owl Marsh Clinch halted in the trail, and, as his mencame up, he counted them with a cold eye.
"Here's the runway and this here hazel bush is my station," he said."You fellas do the barkin'. You, Sid Hone, and you, Corny, startdrivin' from the west. Harvey, you yelp 'em from the north by LynxBrook. Jim and Byron, you get twenty minutes to go 'round to theeastward and drive by the Slide. And you, Hal Smith," -- he lookedaround -- "where 'n hell be you, Hal?----"
Smith came up from the bog's edge.
"Send 'em out," he said in a low voice. "I've got Jake's tracks in thebog."
Clinch motioned his beaters to their duty. "Twenty minutes," hereminded Hone, Chase, and Blommers, "before you start drivin'." And, othe Hastings boys: "If you shoot, aim low for their bellies. Don'tleave on blood around. Scrape it up. We bury what we get."
He and Smith stood looking after the five slouching figures moving awaytoward their blind trails. When all had disappeared:
"Show me Jake's mark," he said calmly.
Smith led him to the edge of the bog, knelt down, drew aside a branch ofwitch-hopple. A man's footprint was plainly visible in the mud.
"That's Jake," said Clinch slowly. "I know them half-soled boots o'hisn." He lifted another branch. "There's another man's track!"
"The other is probably Leverett's."
"Likely. He's got thin feet."
"I think I'd better go after them," said Smith, reflectively.
"They'll plug you, you poor jackass -- two o' them like that, and onea-settin' up to watch out. Hell! Be you tired o' bed an' board?"
Smith smiled: "Don't you worry, Mike."
"Why? You think you're that smart? Jest becuz you stuck up a touristyou think you're cock o' the North Woods -- with them two foxes lyin'out for to snap you up? Hey? Why, you poor dumb thing, Jake runsCanadian hootch for a livin'; and Leverett's a trap thief! What could_you_ do with a pair o' foxes like that?"
"Catch 'em," said Smith, coolly. "You mind your business, Mike."
As he shouldered his rifle and started into the marsh, Clinch dropped aheavy hand on his shoulder; but the young man shook it off.
"Shut up," he said sharply. "You've a private war on your hands. Sohave I. I'll take care of my own."
"What's _your_ grievance?" demanded Clinch, surprised.
"Jake Kloon played a dirty trick on me."
"When was that?"
"Not very long ago."
"I hadn't heard," said Clinch.
"Well, you hear it now, don't you? All right. All right; I'm goingafter him."
As he started again across the marsh, Clinch called out in a guardedvoice: "Take good care of that packet if you catch them rats. Itbelongs to Eve."
"I'll take such good care of it," replied Smith, "that its proper ownerneed not worry."
* * * * *
II
The "proper owner" of the packet was, at that moment, on the AtlanticOcean, travelling toward the United States.
Four other pretended owners of the Grand Duchess Theodorica's jewels,totally unconscious of anything impending which might impair theirseveral titles to the gems, were now gathered together in a wildernesswithin a few miles of one another.
Jose Quintana lay somewhere in the forests with his gang, fiercelyplanning the recovery of the treasure of which Clinch had once robbedhim. Clinch squatted on his runway, watching the mountain flank withmurderous eyes. It was no longer the Flaming Jewel which mattered. Hismaster passion ruled him now. Those who had offered violence to Evemust be reckoned with first of all. The hand that struck Eve Strayerhad offered mortal insult to Mike Clinch.
As for the third pretender to the Flaming Jewel, Jake Kloon, he was nowtravelling in a fox's circle toward Drowned Valley -- that shaggywilderness of slime and tamarack and depthless bog which touches thenorthwest base of Star Peak. He was not hurrying, having no thought ofpursuit. Behind him plodded Leverett, the trap thief, very, very busywith his own ideas.
To Leverett's repeated requests that Kloon halt and open the packet tosee what it contained, Kloon gruffly refused.
"What do we care what's in it?" he said. "We get ten thousand apieceover our rifles for it from them guys. Ain't it a good enough job foryou?"
"Maybe we make more if we take what's inside it for ourselves," arguedLeverett. "Let's take a peek, anyway."
"Naw. I don't want no peek nor nothin'. The ten thousand comes tooeasy. More might scare us. Let that guy, Quintana, have what's his'n.All I ask is my rake-off. You allus was a dirty, thieving mink, Earl.Let's give him his and take ours and git. I'm going to Albany to live.You bet I don't stay in no woods where Mike Clinch dens."
They plodded on, arguing, toward their rendezvous with Quintana'soutpost on the edge of drowned valley.
* * * * *
The fourth pretender to the pearls, rubies, and great gem called theFlaming Jewel, stolen from the young Grand Duchess Theodorica ofEsthonia by Jose Quintana, was an unconscious pretender, entirelyinnocent of the role assigned her by Clinch.
For Eve Strayer had never heard where the packet came from or what itcontained. All she knew was that her stepfather had told her that itbelonged to her. And the knowledge left her incurious.
* * * * *
III
Eve slept the sleep of mental and physical exhaustion. Reaction fromfear brings a fatigue more profound than that which follows physicaloverstrain. But the healthy mind, like the healthy body, disposes verythoroughly of toxics which arise from terror and exhaustion.
The girl slept profoundly, calmly. Her bruised young mind and body lefther undisturbed. There was neither restlessness nor fever. Sleep swepther with its clean, sweet tide, cleansing the superb youth and health ofher with the most wonderful balm in the Divine pharmacy.
She awoke late in the afternoon, opened her flower-blue eyes, and sawState Trooper Stormont sitting by the window, and gazing out.
Perhaps Eve's confused senses mistook the young man for a vision; forshe lay very still, nor stirred even her little finger.
After a while Stormont glanced around at her. A warm, delicate colourstained her skin slowly, evenly, from the throat to hair.
He got up and came over to the bed.
"How do you feel?" he asked, awkwardly.
"Where is dad?" she managed to inquire in a steady voice.
"He won't be back till late. He asked me to stick around -- in case youneeded anything----"
The girl's clear eyes searched his.
"Trooper Stormont?"
"Yes, Eve."
"Dad's gone after Quintana."
"Is he the fellow who misused you?"
"I think so."
"Who is he?"
"I don't know."
"Is he your enemy or your stepfather's?"
But the girl shook her head: "I can't discuss dad's affairs with --with----"
"With a State Trooper," smiled Stormont. "That's all right, Eve. Youdon't have to."
There was a pause; Stormont stood beside the bed, looking down at herwith his diffident, boyish smile. And the girl gazed back straight intohis eyes -- eyes she had so often looked into in her dreams.
"I'm going to cook you an egg and bring you some pie," he remarked,still smiling.
"Did
dad say I am to stay in bed?"
"That was my inference. Do you feel very lame and sore?"
"My feet burn."
"You poor kid! ... Would you let me look at them? I have a first-aidpacket with me."
After a moment she nodded and turned her face on the pillow. He drewaside the cover a little, knelt down beside the bed.
Then he rose and went
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