Part 53 (1/2)

For a while he remained kneeling beside the dead. Then: ”Ah, bah,” he said, pocketing the morocco case and getting to his feet.

He moved a little way toward the open trail, stopped, came back, stood his rifle against a tree.

For a while he was busy with his sharp Spanish clasp knife, whittling and fitting together two peeled twigs. A cross was the ultimate result.

Then he placed Clinch's hands palm to palm upon his chest, laid the cross on his breast, and s.h.i.+ned the result with complacency.

Then Quintana took off his hat.

”L'ami Mike,” he said, ”you were a _man_!... Adios!”

Quintana put on his hat. The path was free. The world lay open before Jose Quintana once more;--the world, his hunting ground.

”But,” he thought uneasily, ”what is it that I bring home this time? How much is paste? My G.o.d, how droll that smile of Clinch.... Which is the false--his jewels or mine? Dieu que j'etais bete!---- Me who have not suspec' that there are _two_ trays within my jewel-box!... I unnerstan'. It is ver' simple. In the top tray the false gems. Ah! Paste on top to deceive a thief!... Alors.... Then what I have recover of Clinch is the _real_!... Nom de Dieu!... How should I know? His smile is so ver' funny.... I think thees dead man make mock of me--all inside himse'f----”

So, in darkness, prowling south by west, s.h.i.+ning the trail furtively, and loaded rifle ready, Quintana moved with stealthy, unhurried tread out of the wilderness that had trapped him and toward the tangled border of that outer world which led to safe, obscure, uncharted labyrinths--old-world mazes, immemorial hunting grounds--haunted by men who prey.

The night had turned frosty. Quintana, wet to the knees and very tired, moved slowly, not daring to leave the trail because of sink-holes.

However, the trail led to Clinch's Dump, and sooner or later he must leave it.

What he had to have was a fire; he realised that. Somewhere off the trail, in big timber if possible, he must build a fire and master this deadly chill that was slowly paralysing all power of movement.

He knew that a fire in the forest, particularly in big timber, could be seen only a little way. He must take his chances with sink-holes and find some spot in the forest to build that fire.

Who could discover him except by accident?

Who would prowl the midnight wilderness? At thirty yards the fire would not be visible. And, as for the odour--well, he'd be gone before dawn.... Meanwhile, he must have that fire. He could wait no longer.

He cut a pole first. Then he left the trail where a little spring flowed west, and turned to the right, s.h.i.+ning the forest floor as he moved and sounding with his pole every wet stretch of moss, every strip of mud, every tiniest glimmer of water.

At last he came to a place of pines, first growth giants towering into night, and, looking up, saw stars, infinitely distant, ... where perhaps those things called souls drifted like wisps of vapour.

When the fire took, Quintana's thin dark hands had become nearly useless from cold. He could not have crooked finger to trigger.

For a long time he sat close to the blaze, slowly ma.s.saging his torpid limbs, but did not dare strip off his foot-gear.

Steam rose from puttee and heavy shoe and from the sodden woollen breeches. Warmth slowly penetrated. There was little smoke; the big dry branches were dead and bleached and he let the fire eat into them without using his axe.

Once or twice he sighed, ”Oh, my G.o.d,” in a weary demi-voice, as though the content of well-being were permeating him.

Later he ate and drank languidly, looking up at the stars, speculating as to the possible presence of Mike Clinch up there.

”Ah, the dirty thief,” he murmured; ”--nevertheless a man. Quel homme!

Mais bete a faire pleurer! Je l'ai bien triche, moi! Ha!”

Quintana smiled palely as he thought of the coat and the gently-swaying bush--of the red glare of Clinch's shot, of the death-echo of his own shot.

Then, uneasy, he drew out the morocco case and gazed at the two trays full of gems.