Part 24 (2/2)
”Kneel down with your hands up and your back toward me!” said Smith.
”My frien'----”
”Down with you!”
Quintana dropped gracefully into the humiliating att.i.tude popularly indicative of prayerful supplication. Smith walked slowly up behind him, relieved him of two automatics and a dirk.
”Stay put,” he said sharply, as Quintana started to turn his head. Then he picked up the packet with its loosened string, slipped it into his side pocket, gathered together the a.r.s.enal which had decorated Quintana, and so, loaded with weapons, walked away a few paces and seated himself on a fallen log.
Here he pocketed both automatics, shoved the sheathed dirk into his belt, placed the captured rifle handy, after examining the magazine, and laid his own weapon across his knees.
”You may turn around now, Quintana,” he said amiably.
Quintana lowered his arms and started to rise.
”Sit down!” said Smith.
Quintana seated himself on the moss, facing Smith.
”Now, my gay and nimble thimble-rigger,” said Smith genially, ”while I take ten minutes' rest we'll have a little polite conversation. Or, rather, a monologue. Because I don't want to hear anything from you.”
He settled himself comfortably on the log:
”Let me a.s.semble for you, Senor Quintana, the interesting history of the jewels which so sparklingly repose in the packet in my pocket.
”In the first place, as you know, Monsieur Quintana, the famous Flaming Jewel and the other gems contained in this packet of mine, belonged to Her Highness the Grand d.u.c.h.ess Theodorica of Esthonia.
”Very interesting. More interesting still--along comes Don Jose Quintana and his celebrated gang of international thieves, and steals from the Grand d.u.c.h.ess of Esthonia the Flaming Jewel and all her rubies, emeralds and diamonds. Yes?”
”Certainly,” said Quintana, with a polite inclination of acknowledgment.
”Bon! Well, then, still more interesting to relate, a gentleman named Clinch helps himself to these famous jewels. How very careless of you, Mr. Quintana.”
”Careless, certainly,” a.s.sented Quintana politely.
”Well,” said Smith, laughing, ”Clinch was more careless still. The robber baron, Sir Jacobus Kloon, swiped,--as Froissart has it,--the Esthonian gems, and, under agreement to deliver them to you, I suppose, thought better of it and attempted to abscond. Do you get me, Herr Quintana?”
”Gewiss.”
”Yes, and you got Jake Kloon, I hear,” laughed Smith.
”No.”
”Didn't you kill Kloon?”
”No.”
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