The Flaming Jewel
s, filtering through, were tinged with a rosy hue before Jake Kloon, t
ty of their burnt gold; little pools glimmered here and there; patches of amber sphagnum and crimson pitcher-plants became fre
s devious and larcenous way through the w
solid ground; but he lacked the courage of that sinuous little b
Jake Kloon, his narrow, pointed head alert, and every fear-sharpened
lined to bold and ruthless action; but i
nce. In his petty pilfering he died a hundred deaths for every trapped mink or otter he filched; he heard the game prot
ife of fear and live in a city, grossly, replete with the pleasures of satiation, never again to see a tree or a lon
at Jake Kloon's heels, meditating once more that swift, bol
ve head. One shot would blow that skul
r deal, the contents of the packet. For, if Quintana's bribery had dazzled
must contain. And, to make the bribe worth while, Leverett had concluded that only a
lutely safe plunder. But Kloon had turned a deaf ear to his suggestions,-Kloon, who never entertained ambi
nd forever. Ended, too, privation,-the bitter rigour of black winters; scorching days; bodily squalor; ills that such
e trotted on, trying to tell himself that he couldn't miss. No use; always the coward's "if" blocked hi
ts grew thicker; wet woods set with littl
himself on a narrow ridge of hard ground. And Leverett came lightly up and, after nosing the
Kloon, tearing a mouthful from a gnawed tobacco plug a
, Jake, be you a man or be you a poor
turned and glanced at him
a peek at that there packet. I bet you it's thousand-
his knees. Almost imperceptibly he moved it, moved it again, froze stiff as Kloon
ak
got no use for no billion million dollar bills. Ten thousand'll buy me all I cal'late to need till I'm planted. But you're like
hain't nothin' to a
t and filled the cup. Diverted and gratified by the
to the left, shivered, moved it again. Under his soggy
ak
ans
, Ja
not
take a peek a
m of tobacco soiling
I gotta take a pee
's unsteady voice mad
," he said, "what yo
he big, soft-nosed bullet struck him full in the face, spilling his brains and par
rifle from the muzzle of which a delicate stain of vapou
e, suddenly the dead man made a soun
ett, ashy pale, shaking, got to his feet and leaned heavily against an o
fly appeared, buzzing about the dead man. Another zig-zagged through the sunshine, lacing it with streaks of greenish fire. Others appeared, whirling, gyra
e bushy hair on Kloon's head and flutt
ess by the advent of the foreign white-fluttered in airy play over the dead man, drifting away into the woodland
m, squeaking, squealing, chattering his opinion of murder; and Leverett, shaking with the shock, wip
eling a little, then crept slowly out among the pit
; took his bearings; carefully picked his way back ove
side coat pocket, he drew the packet and
n and clutched Kloon's burly ankles, as a man grasp
ail through the wilderness, leaving a redder path than was left by
ind him, the floor of the woods trembled slightly,
, Leverett halted. The water was dark but sca
, slim swamp maple. The sapling was about twenty feet in height. Leverett thrust the butt of it i
ump Kloon into the pool and keep out
t another sapling and pushed the body until
bbles rose, dully iridescent, floated, broke. Str
eaves the spot where Kloon had lain. There were broken ferns,
remembered the packet in his shirt, and he carried the rifle to the li
l's edge, somebody laid
eal death that Leve