ess he'll be over Star Peak side by sundown," nodded Blommers.

Eve watched him slouching off into the woods, followed sullenly by
Berry. Then she looked down at the dead man in silence.

"Be you ready, Eve?" grunted Chase.

She turned with a heavy heart to the home trail; but her mind was
passionately with Clinch in the spectral forests of Drowned Valley.

* * * * *

II

And Clinch's mind was on her. All else -- his watchfulness, his
stealthy advance -- all the alertness of eye and ear, all the subtlety,
the cunning, the infinite caution -- were purely instinctive mechanics.

Somewhere in this flooded twilight of gigantic trees was Jose Quintana.
Knowing that, he dismissed that fact from his mind and turned his
thoughts to Eve.

Sometimes his lips moved. They usually did when he was arguing with God
or calling his Creator's attention to the justice of his case. His
_two_ cases -- each, to him, a cause celebre; the matter of Harrod; the
affair of Quintana.

Many a time he had pleaded these two causes before the Most High.

But now his thoughts were chiefly concerned with Eve -- with the problem
of her future -- his master passion -- this daughter of the dead wife he
had loved.

He sighed unconsciously; halted.

"Well, Lord," he concluded, in his wordless way, "my girlie has gotta
have a chance if I gotta go to hell for it. That's sure as shootin'.
... Amen."

At that instant he saw Quintana.

Recognition was instant and mutual. Neither man stirred. Quintana was
standing beside a giant hemlock. His pack lay at his feet.

Clinch had halted -- always the mechanics! -- close to a great ironwood
tree.

Probably both men knew that they could cover themselves before the other
moved a muscle. Clinch's small, light eyes were blazing; Quintana's
black eyes had become two slits.

Finally: "You -- dirty -- skunk," drawled Clinch in his agreeably
misleading voice, "by Jesus Christ I got you now."

"Ah -- h," said Quintana, "thees has happen ver' nice like I expec'. ...
Always I say myse'f, yet a little patience, Jose, an' one day you shall
meet thees fellow Clinch, who has rob you. ... I am ver' thankful to the
good God----"

He had made the slightest of movements: instantly both men were behind
their trees. Clinch, in the ferocious pride of woodcraft, laughed
exultingly -- filled the dim and spectral forest with his roar of
laughter.

"Quintana," he called out, "you're a-going to cash in. Savv