The Flaming Jewel
e veranda. He had little light grey eyes, cl
linch," inquire
ed Clinch; "you're
r. Clinch," said Lan
u," said Clinch, le
shook hands with Clinch. Then
remarked to his com
pump to wash. One or two rough looking men
," said Lann
grunted ack
r: "Here she comes with towe
ham advanced toward them
girl handed them two rough towels, glanced at Sto
s ready,"
ces and followed he
ing room half a dozen men waited silently for food. Lan
pervaded the room. Presently Eve
doubt. The girl's thick, lustrous hair was brownish gold, and
moment-experienced a slight shock of pleasure at their int
fable, even became
dinner, Mike? H
s a day late," replied
any of catamounts feeding might have mad
" inquired Lannis, pouring g
d prices wi
named Leverett complain
other man pays. What are you kicking about, anyway?
men's traps was not lost on the company. Leverett's fox visage reddened; Jak
The jays and squirrels talk too," he said slowly. "
s what we pay to see. But talk is the tune t
r. He heard a low, charming
on pie, maple c
into two gent
lease," he sa
h and the two State Troopers, the former folded his heavy, powerful hands o
he said in a pa
nee over the other,
ellow working for y
said C
ur
ur
e you heard about a stick-up on
N
. Sard, stopping at Ghost Lake Inn-was held
f him," said C
and dollars in bills and so
ff my shins," r
id a com
es
s been here since
N
was a
man named Hal Smith wo
N
ere Saturd
say
from Gh
s a
t do you any good if hold-up men
arch," said C
garret to cellar. They searched
ng on, Clinch went
rs are after that fellow, Hal Smith, who
us a deer," she replied in a
e ought to have told me. Do you think you
g on Owl Mar
nd slip out the back door. And lo
have to be out to-night, don't wor
prowl around the clearing. Lannis paid the reckoning; h
e wore men's clothes and she
ay, Lannis said to Clinch,
n us, Mike, but the show-down is sure to come
enough to suit
to be suited, Mike. And if it g
at worry you,
Troopers, riding at a walk, came t
of the back door and take to the woods, she's probably somewhere in there--" he po
ying to keep out of sight. I wondered whether Clin
er a long sh
n and look about a bit,
ns west to Ghost Lake. We sleep at the Inn t
his map and compass, pocket
dy he gave his
see what she's u
me to the Inn," said Lannis,
ly and swiftly. He had struck a line by compass that must cross the direction taken by Eve
looking for had not fired a shot on the edge of that vast
Stormont heard the shot an
called himself Hal Smith fired at one of Harrod's d
essed the buck by the
squatting by the water's edge when
e Troopers are l
hes. The girl picked her way across the b
what had happened
k up this man?" she
, Eve," he replie
ntire expres
e said. "I thought you different
rrupted, "what do
ed bitterly. "I didn't believe you were. You look decent. But you're as croo
d you run all the way from Clinch'
hiding you. They've got it in for him. If they put him in prison he'll die. He coul
next instant she picked up his rifle, seized his
y father into trouble
f Star Peak borde
ugh the thicket and up the rocks to a cleft-a ho
e," she said
"will see the buck yonder, an
take your medicine. Creep
o do?" he demanded, i
and a fine for me. And if it's a State Trooper, who is prowling in the woods yonder hu