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Show Flaming iM Jty HOBEPT W CHAMBERS Ql&FL OSOEO RDOKJLW OOMHAirY BF.. HERE TOD IT. The priceless gem. the Flaming Jewel, had boon ftret stolen from th COUNTE88 OF E8THONTA. by the great International thle' QUI NT AN A. Love of tho now beg- garded countess caused JAMES DAHRAOH to trace the gem to the disreputable "hotel" In the Adlrondacks owned by MIKE CI. INCH, who had stolen the Jewel from Qulntana. I'nder the namo of HAL, SMITH. Darragh works In Clinch's Dump, whero he meets Clinch's beautiful step-daughter. EVE 8TKAYER. tho one good Influence Influ-ence In the crime-spotted career of Clinch. When Quintans and his gang aMTtvs and seek to regain their loot from Clinch. Eve Is sent to hide the Jewel In the "hootch-cache." She la captured cap-tured by Quintans, threatened with torture, but escapes and Is brought back to camp by 8tato Trooper st.ir-mont. st.ir-mont. GO ON WITH TRi: STORY 1 t I I 1 FOUR Private War. 'MATTER L When State Trooper 8tormont rode up to Clinch's with Eve Strayer lying In his arms. Mike Clinch strode out of the motley crowd around the tavern, tav-ern, laid his rifle against a tree, and stretched forth his powerful hands to receive his stepchild He held her. cradled, looking down at her In all- nee as the men clust. rd around. "Ee." he said hoarsely, "be you hurted?" The girl opened her sky-blue eyes. "I'm all right, dad. Just tired. . I'vo got your parcel . safe. "To hell with the gol-dlnge.l par-col." par-col." he almost sobbed, " did Quln-tana Quln-tana harm you?" "No. dad." As he carried her to the veranda the packet fell from her cramped fingers fin-gers Clinch kicked It under a chair and continued on Into the house and up tho stairs to Eve's bedroom Hat on the bed. the girl opened her drowsy eyes again, unsmiling. "Did that dirty louse misuse you I demanded Clinch unsteadily G wan tell me. girlie." "He knocked me down . . ne went away to get fire to make me talk I cut up the blank, t they gave me and made a rope Then I went over the cliff into the big pine below. That was all. dad." Clinch filled a tin basin and Waal the girl's torn feet. When he had dried them he kissed them. She felt his unshaven Hps trembling, heard him whimper for the first time in hla tlfe "Why the hell didn't you glse Qnln-tana Qnln-tana the packet?" he demanded. What does that count for what does anv damn thing count for against you. girlie?" . . She looked up at him out of heavy-lidded heavy-lidded eyes "You told me to take good care of It" -M ... . "It's only a little truck I d laid by for you " he retorted unsteadily. " a few trifles for to make a grand lady of vou when the time's ripe. 'Taint worth a thorn In your little foot to me Tho hull gol-dlnged world full o' money ain't worth that there stone-brulne onto them little white feet o" yourn. Eve. "Look at you now my Ood. look St you there .all peaked an scalrt nn' bleedln' olum tuckered out, 'n' all ragged 'n' dirty " A hlazo of furv flared In his small rale eyes: " And he hit you. too. did he1 that skunk! Quintana done that to my little girlie, did he?" "I don't know If It was Quintans. T don't know who he was. dad," she murmured drowsily. "Masked, wa'nt he?" "Yes." Clinch's Iron vlsjvrje twitched and quivered He gnawed hie thin lips Into control" "Girlie, I gotta go out a spell Bui I ain't a-leavln' you alone here. I'll g1t somebody to set "P with you You lust lie snug nnd don't think about nothln till I come hack " "Yes, dad." she sighed, closing her eves. Clinch stood looking at her for a moment then he went downstairs heavily, and out to the vernnda u b n BtatS Trooper Stormont still sat his saddle, talking to Hal Smith. On the porch a sullen crowd of hack-woods hack-woods riff-raff lounged In silence, awaiting eventi Clinch called across to Smith "Hoy, Hal. g'wnn up and set with Eve a spell while she's nappln'. Take a run " Smith said to Stormont In a low voice. "Do me a favor, Jack?" "Tou bet " "That girl of Clinch's Is in ral danger dan-ger If left here alone But I've got another Job on my hands. Can you keep a watch on ber till I return?" "Can't you tell me a little more. Jim?" "I will later. Do you mind helping help-ing mo out now" , "All rlht." Trooper Stormont swung out of his saddle and led his horso away toward the stable. Hal Smith went Into the bar where Clinch stood oiling a rifle. "I'm going after Quintans with you. Mike " B'goah. you ain't. You're a-goln' to keep watch here." "No Trooper Stormont has promised prom-ised to stay with Evo. You'll need ecry man today. Mlko This isn't a deer drive." Clinch let his rifle sag across the hollow of his left arm. "Did you beef to that trooper"'" he demanded In bis pleasant, mls-I mls-I leading way. "Do you think I'm craxy?" re-.rt.-d Smith. "Well, what the hell" "They all know that some man used your girl roughly That's all I said to him keep an eye on Eve until we, can get back." And 1 tell you. Mike, if we drive Star Peak we won't be back till long after sundown." sun-down." Clinch growled: I ain't never LSked no favors of no State Trooper "He did you a favor, didn't he? He brought your daughter In " "Yes, 'n' he'd Jail us all If he got anything on us." "Yes; and he ll shoot to kill If any of Quintana's people come here and try to break in." Clinch grunted peeled off his coat and got Into a leather est bristling with cartridge loops. Trooper Stormont came In the back door, carrying his rifle "Some rough fellow been bothering your daughter. Clinch'"' he Inquired. "The child was nearly all in when she met me out by Owl Marsh -clothes half torn off her back, bare-foot ana bleeding. She's a plucky youngster. I'll say so. Clinch If you think the fellow may come hero to annoy her I'll keep an eye on her till you return." re-turn." Clinch went up to Stormont. put his powerful hands on the young fellow's ehouidcrs. After a moment's glaring silence "You look clean. I guess you be, too. I want tell you I'll cut tho guts outa any guy that laya the heft of a single flnfrcr onto Eve." "I'd do so, too, If I were you," said Stormont. "Would ye Well, I guess you're a real man, too. even If you're a State Trooper," growled Clinch. "G wan up. She's a nappln'. If she wakes up you I'.lnda talk pleasant to her. You act kind, pleasant and cosy. She ain't had no ma. You tell her to act snug and calm. Then you cook her a egg if she wants It. There's pie. too. I cal'-late cal'-late to be back by sundown." "Nearer morning." remarked Smith. : ormont shrugged. "Ill stay until you show up. Clinch." The latter took another rifle from the f-.rner a ml handed It to Smith with a loop of ammunition. "Come on." he gruntod. On the veranda he strode up to the group of sullen, armed men who re-garded re-garded his advent In expressionless silence. si-lence. Sid H- n. was then ai 1 1 1 .irv-v Chase, and the Hastings boys, and Cornelius Blonimers. "You fellas comln'?" inquired Clinch. "Where?" drawled Sid Hone. "Me an' Hal Smith is cal-kalatin' to drive star Peak. It ain't deer, neither." neith-er." There ensued a grim Interval Clinch's wintry' smile began to glim mer "Booze agents or game protectors? Which?" asked Byron Hastings. "Thoy both look like deer If a man gits mad enough." Clinch's, smile became terrifying. "I shell out five hundred dollars for every' ev-ery' deer that's dropped on Star Peak today." he said. "And I hope there won't be no accidents and no mtstakln' no stranger for a deer." he added, wagging his greut square head. "Them accidents is liable to happen." hap-pen." remarked Hone, reflectively. After another pause: "Where's Jake Kloon?" Inquired Smith. Nobody seemed to know. "He was here when Mike called Into the bar," Insisted Smith. "Wbere'd he go?" Then, of a sudden. Clinch recollected recollect-ed tho packet which ho hnd klckod under a veranda cbalr It was no longer there. "Any o" jrou fellas seen a package hero on tho pyazxa?" demanded Clinch harshly. "Jake Kloon. he had aomethln'." drawled Chase "I supposed It wis his lunch. Mebbe 'twas, too." In the intense stillness Clinch glared into one face after another. "Boys," he said In his 6oftly modulated modu-lated voice, "I klnda guesj thi re's a rat amongst ub. I wouldn't like for to bo that there r.'it no. not for a billion hundred dollars. No. 1 wouldn't. Becuz that ther rat has bit ray little, glrllo, Eve like that there der bit her up onto Star Peak. . . No. 1 wouldn't like for to he that there rat. Fer he's a-goin' to dlo like a rat, came's that thTe deer a-goln to die like a deer Anyone Any-one seen which way Jake Kloon went?" "Now you spak of It," said Dvron Hastings, 'seems like I noticed Juk" and Earl Ieverett down by tho wood near the pond. 1 klnda dlsremem-bercd dlsremem-bercd when you asked, but I gu. si I seen them " Clinch tossed hla rifle across his left shoulder. "Rats an' deer." he said pleasantly "Them's the articles v.'e're lookln for rafSH don't mistake a man for iH woods." N"'it afl |