The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-31
The Trey O. Hearts
By Louis Joseph Vance

Yyds now { 'seco( Sin manifsstSa
belt. The man In Sho rear seat uftaG
Sp . weirdly sonorous voice:
"Stop!" he cried. "Stop this nom
sense! Drop that man! Judith, I
command you"
BE SILENT" the girl cut in sharply.
Fl command here-if it's necessary to
tell you"
There was a pause of establishment.
Then the old man broke out in exas-
peration that threatened to wax into
fury: Judith! What do you mean by
this? Has it indeed come to this that
my own daughter defies me to my
face?"
Apparently" she shot back, with
ia short laugh. Judge for YOURSELF"
Have you forgotten your vow to
me?"
mo. But I take it back and cancel
It: that is my privilege, believe.
Silence!" she stormed as he strove
to gainsay her. ''Silence-do you
hear?-or it will be the worse for
you!"
As well command the sea to still
its voice: her father ragged like a mad
man that he was, for the time being
Invested of his habitual mask of frigid
heartlessness.
And seeing that there was no other
way Of quieting him, the girl turned
to the third man.
Nov Jimmy" she said crisply.
Into that car-and be quick about 1t
and gag him!"
IF you d." her father foamed. "I'll
have your life"
A flourish of her weapons gained
instant obedience.
She stepped up on the running board
and shot a quick, searching glance
at the face of the chauffeur.
Straight ahead, my mani" she said.
make for the nearest pass through
those hills yonder, and don't delay
unless you are anxious for trouble. on
you go!"
The car began to move. She swept
the three men in the desert hooking
bow, jumped into the body Of the car
and slammed the door.
They made no effort to plead their
cause and secure passage even as far
as the edge of the desert; doubtless
they knew too we'll the futility of that,
she thought, as she settled back in a
seat, chuckling with the memory Of
those three masks Of dismay unmiti.
gated.
It was not until FIVE minutes later.
when she Strengthened up from making
Alan comfortable that she realized
what had made them so content to
abide by her will.
Then she heard their voices lifted
together in q long. shrill howl that was
quickly answered by fainter yells from
. distant quarter Of the desert, then
by pistols popping and flashing some
two miles away. then by q growing
rumble Of galloping hoofs.
The night glasses in the car afforded
her flashes Of q body Of several horse
men-some six or seven, she Judged
making at top speed toward the spot
where Marrophat, Hicks and Jimmy
waited beside . beacon which they
had built and lighted.
Half q dozen sentences exchanged
With the chauffeur advised her that
these were horsemen from the town
of Mesa who had charged themselves
with the duty of avenging the death
Of Hopi Jim Slade.
A sardonic chuckle from within
Trine's gag goaded the girl into sui.
len fury.
Exacting his utmost speed from the
chauffeur, under penalty Of her dis
pleasure, she set herself to revive
Alan.
With the aid of such stores Of food
and drink as the car carried. this was
quickly enough accomplished.
Strangling with an overdose Of
brandy too little diluted with water,
Alan sat up, srasped the conditions
In . fash. and gained further informa,
tion ~ he devoured sandwiches and
Dmptied canteen.
Tho mountain pass was now. hs
judged, . mile distant. The light on
the hillside. according to the chauf
feur. was that Of . prospector who
had camped there temporarily. There
was nothing, then, to be feared from
that quarter. but solely from the real
where the horsemen. having picked
up Marrophat and his companions
had instituted hot pursuit, and were
now strung out In a long, struggling
line. three horses carrying double the
MISUNDERSTANDING q mile and 9
half away-one with q single ridel
the nearest, well within threeQuar
tiers of mile.
Nobly mounted, this last came OF
like the wind, gaining on the motol
car with every stride; for his hors'
was trained to such going. wherea
the car at best could only labor heav
lily In dust and sand.
None the less, it had won to q poin
within a quarter Of mile from tn
pass before the horseman got within
what he esteemed the proper range
AMI opened fire.
He fred thrice. His first shot winge
wide, his second by ill-chance Ripe
through a rear tire of the car, thu
placing upon it an additional hand
cap, while his third sought the zenit
as his hands few up and he droppe
from the saddle, drilled through tn
body by Alan's only shot.
A long-range pistol duel was
progress before the car had covere
half the remaining distance to ii
pass.
BY the time it entered this las
which proved to be a narrow ravir