The Flaming Jewel Read online

  Produced by Ben Collver

  The Flaming Jewel By Robert W. Chambers

  Author of "Ailsa Paige," "Athalie," "Barbarians," "The Business ofLife," "The Crimson Tide," "The Dark Star," "The Fighting Chance," "TheGirl Philippa," "The Hidden Children," "The Laughing Girl," "The LittleRed Foot," "The Moonlit Way," "The Restless Sex," "The Slayer of Souls,""Who Goes There," etc.

  A.L. Burt Company Publishers, New York Published by arrangement withGeorge H. Doran Company

  Copyright, 1922, By George H. Doran Company

  Transcriber's Note:The irregular spelling of words ("inquire", "enquire", etc.) in thisetext tend to be reproduced faithfully from the 1922 edition, butaccents are not preserved . . .

  * * * * *

  To my friend R. T. Haines-Halsey who unreservedly believes everything Iwrite.

  To R.T.

  * * * * *

  I Three Guests at dinner! That's the life! -- Wedgewood, Revere, andDuncan Phyfe!

  II You sit on Duncan -- when you dare, -- And out of Wedgewood, usingcare, With Paul Revere you eat your fare.

  III From Paul you borrow fork and knife To wage a gastronomic strife 'nporringers; and platters rare Of blue Historic Willow-ware.

  IV Banquets with cymbal, drum and fife, Or rose-wreathed feasts withriot rife To your chaste suppers can't compare.

  V Let those deny the truth who dare! -- Paul, Duncan, Wedgewood! That'sthe life! All else is bunk and empty air.

  ENVOI The Cordon-bleu has set the pace With Goulash, Haggis,Bouillabaisse, Curry, Chop-suey, Kous-Kous Stew -- I can not offer theseto you, -- Being a plain, old-fashioned cook, -- So pray accept thisscrambled book.

  May, 1922 R.W.C.

  * * * * *

  Contents

  Episode OneEve

  Episode TwoThe Ruling Passion

  Episode ThreeOn Star Peak

  Episode FourA Private War

  Episode FiveDrowned Valley

  Episode SixThe Jewel Aflame

  Episode SevenClinch's Dump

  Episode EightCup and Lip

  Episode NineThe Forest and Mr. Sard

  Episode TenThe Twilight of Mike

  Episode ElevenThe Place of Pines

  Episode TwelveHer Highness Intervenes

  * * * * *

  Episode One

  Eve

  * * * * *

  I

  During the last two years, Fate, Chance, and Destiny had been too busyto attend to Mike Clinch. But now his turn was coming in the EternalSequence of things. The stars in their courses indicated the beginningof the undoing of Mike Clinch.

  From Esthonia a refugee Countess wrote to James Darragh in New York: "--After two years we have discovered that it was Jose Quintana's band ofinternational thieves that robbed Ricca. Quintana has disappeared. "ALevantine diamond broker in New York, named Emanuel Sard, may be incommunication with him. "Ricca and I are going to America as soon aspossible. "Valentine."

  The day Darragh received the letter he started to look up Sard.

  But that very morning Sard had received a curious letter from Rotterdam.This was the letter:

  "Sardius -- Tourmaline -- Aragonite -- Rhodonite * Porphyry -- Obsidian-- Nugget Gold -- Diaspore * Novaculite * Yu * Nugget Silver -- Amber --Matrix Turquoise -- Elaeolite * Ivory -- Sardonyx * Moonstone -- IcelandSpar -- Kalpa Zircon -- Eye Agate * Celonite -- Lapis -- Iolite --Nephrite -- Chalcedony -- Hydrolite * Hegolite -- Amethyst -- Selenite *Fire Opal -- Labradorite -- Garnet * Jade -- Emerald -- Wood Opal --Essonite -- Lazuli * Epidote -- Ruby -- Onyx -- Sapphire -- Indicolite-- Topaz -- Euclase * Indian Diamond * Star Sapphire -- African Diamond-- Iceland Spar -- Lapis Crucifer * Abalone -- Turkish Turquoise * OldMine Stone -- Natrolite -- Cats Eye -- Electrum * * * 1/5 a a."

  That afternoon young Darragh located Sard's office and presented himselfas a customer. The weasel-faced clerk behind the wicket laid a pistolhandy and informed Darragh that Sard was away on a business trip.

  Darragh looked cautiously around the small office: "Can anybody hearus?"

  "Nobody. Why?"

  "I have important news concerning Jose Quintana," whispered Darragh;"Where is Sard?"

  "Why, he had a letter from Quintana this very morning," replied theclerk in a low, uneasy voice. "Mr. Sard left for Albany on the oneo'clock train. Is there any trouble?"

  "Plenty," replied Darragh coolly; "do you know Quintana?"

  "No. But Mr. Sard expects him here any day now."

  Darragh leaned closer against the grille: "Listen very carefully; if aman comes here who calls himself Jose Quintana, turn him over to thepolice until Mr. Sard returns. No matter what he tells you, turn himover to the police. Do you understand?"

  "Who are you?" demanded the worried clerk. "Are you one of Quintana'speople?"

  "Young man," said Darragh, "I'm close enough to Quintana to give _you_orders. And give Sard orders. ... And Quintana, too!"

  A great light dawned on the scared clerk: "_You_ are Jose Quintana!" hesaid hoarsely.

  Darragh bored him through with his dark stare: "Mind your business," hesaid.

  * * * * *

  That night in Albany Darragh picked up Sard's trail. It led to a dealerin automobiles. Sard had bought a Comet Six, paying cash, and hadstarted north.

  Through Schenectady, Fonda, and Mayfield, the following day, Darraghtraced a brand new Comet Six containing one short, dark Levantine with aparrot nose. In Northville Darragh hired a Ford.

  At Lake Pleasant Sard's car went wrong. Darragh missed him by tenminutes; but he learned that Sard had inquired the way to Ghost LakeInn.

  That was sufficient. Darragh bought an axe, drove as far as Harrod'sCorners, dismissed the Ford, and walked into a forest entirely familiarto him.

  He emerged in half an hour on a wood road two miles farther on. Here hefelled a tree across the road and sat down in the bushes to awaitevents.

  Toward sunset, hearing a car coming, he tied his handkerchief over hisface below the eyes, and took an automatic from his pocket.

  Sard's car stopped and Sard got out to inspect the obstruction. Darraghsauntered out of the bushes, poked his pistol against Mr. Sard's fatabdomen, and leisurely and thoroughly robbed him.

  In an agreeable spot near a brook Darragh lighted his pipe and sat himdown to examine the booty in detail. Two pistols, a stiletto, and ablackjack composed the arsenal of Mr. Sard. A large wallet disclosedmore than four thousand dollars in Treasury notes -- something toreimburse Ricca when she arrived, he thought.

  Among Sard's papers he discovered a cipher letter from Rotterdam --probably from Quintana. Cipher was rather in Darragh's line. Allciphers are solved by similar methods, unless the key is contained in acode book known only to sender and receiver.

  But Quintana's cipher proved to be only an easy acrostic -- the verysimplest of secret messages. Within an hour Darragh had it pencilledout:

  Cipher

  "Take notice: "Star Pond, N.Y. ... Name is Mike Clinch. ... Has FlamingJewel. ... Erosite. ... I sail at once. "Quintana."

  Having served in Russia as an officer in the Military IntelligenceDepartment attached to the American Expeditionary Forces, Darragh hadlittle trouble with Quintana's letter. Even the signature was notdifficult, the fraction 1/5 was easily translated Quint; and thefamiliar prescription symbol a a spelled ana; which gave Quintana's namein full.

  He had heard of Erosite as the rarest and most magnificent of all gems.Only three were known. The young Duchess Theodorica of Esthonia hadpossessed one.

  * * * * *

  Darragh was immensely amused to find that the chase after Emanuel Sardshould have led him to the very borders of the great Harrod estate inthe Adirondacks.

  He gathered up his loot and walked on throu
gh the splendid forest whichonce had belonged to Henry Harrod of Boston, and which now was theproperty of Harrod's nephew, James Darragh.

  When he came to the first trespass notice he stood a moment to read it.Then, slowly, he turned and looked toward Clinch's. An autumn sunsetflared like a conflagration through the pines. There was a glimmer ofwater, too, where Star Pond lay.

  * * * * *

  Fate, Chance, and Destiny were becoming very busy with Mike Clinch.They had started Quintana, Sard, and Darragh on his trail. Now theystirred up the sovereign State of New York.

  That lank wolf, Justice, was afoot and sniffing uncomfortably close tothe heels of Mike Clinch.

  * * * * *

  II

  Two State Troopers drew bridles in the yellowing October forest. Theirsmart drab uniforms touched with purple blended harmoniously with theautumn woods. They were as inconspicuous as