Episode Nine
The Forest and Mr. Sard

Episode Ten
The Twilight of Mike

Episode Eleven
The Place of Pines

Episode Twelve
Her Highness Intervenes

* * * * *

Episode One

Eve

* * * * *

I

During the last two years, Fate, Chance, and Destiny had been too busy
to attend to Mike Clinch. But now his turn was coming in the Eternal
Sequence of things. The stars in their courses indicated the beginning
of 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 of
international thieves that robbed Ricca. Quintana has disappeared. "A
Levantine diamond broker in New York, named Emanuel Sard, may be in
communication with him. "Ricca and I are going to America as soon as
possible. "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 -- Iceland
Spar -- 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 * Old
Mine Stone -- Natrolite -- Cats Eye -- Electrum * * * 1/5 a a."

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

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

"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 the
clerk in a low, uneasy voice. "Mr. Sard left for Albany on the one
o'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 a