The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-07-17

THE JASPER NEWS
way until they can pry IL Off of the
trail. Meanwhile we will get out Of
here while the coast Is clear"
we've got to get those pieces of
flag from Scarface or he will beat us
to the treasure" Dick said to Polly
later, as they were seated about the
camp fire.. Polly's answer was sur
prise she had been keeping In store
for several days. From her waist, she
produced six squares of cloth and
handed them to Dick.
/. "These are the original pieces that
Scarface thinks he has. He has six
other pieces, but he will have hard
time making sense Of them"
Her friends did not understand, and
she explained further:
waiting at the hotel for you, I
made imitation pieces out of some col
ored cloth. Those are the ones l gave
up to Scarface."
Their JOY at receiving this piece of
information was unbounded. Patting
her on the back they told her that
she was the cleverest one of them all
and the best pal that men could have
when 1t came to outwitting an outfit
like Scarface and his bunch.
A few miles down the trail the out
laws had made camp and also were
congratulating ench other on having
made away with Dick and his party,
when the Kid rode in bound to his
horse, to tell of their wonderful es-
cape. Scarface cursed roundly, but
derived some comfort from the fact
he had the secret to the buried treas
ure. But when he spread the pieces
by the fire a light dawned on him
and he yelled in rage:
'"These are fakes, all but the one
we got from the Indians grave. The
woman fooled us. Wen attack them
in the morning and get the real pieces"
Apprehension of morning attack
came to Dick as his camp prepared
fol- sleep.
time Scarface and his followers would
be trying to match up the pieces and
work out the secret, and he knew as
soon as they tried 1t they would dis
cover the deception. 1t was not nat
ural that the outlaws would remain
idle long after they discovered that
they had~been fooled, therefore they
we're likely to make an attack at any
time. So he determined that he would
lose no time in taking precautions.
Posting Tomas on guard, he made
two pencil copies of the pieces of flag,
one of which he gave to Polly, keep
Ing the other. Then he told her to
get some sleep while he. planned his
next move.
Dawn found both camps ready for
the fray, but luck favored Dicks
forces, who cleYerly ambushed the out
laws and captured all but Scarface,
who got away on his horse, closely
pursued by Dick and Tomas, Teel and
the others being told to follow with
their prisoners.
Then the tide OF luck turned to
Scarface, who in his flight ran into
band of cattle thieves who promptly
agreed to help him on promise of
whisky and money. And so when Dick
and Tomas rode unsuspecting into the
rustlers' camp they were quickly dis
armed and bound.
"I'll trouble you for the originals
of these" demanded Scarface with n
swagger, producing the bogus pieces
of flag. Then he Invested Dick Of all
his clothing, which he put on him
self.
Scarface, backed by the cattle rus
tiers, could easily have wiped out
Dicks party, but instead of giving
battle, he rode back up the trail
and, mistaken by Polly and the others
for Dick, lured them to box car,
where they were easily overpowered.
Dick, hands bound, taking advan-
tage of the excitement Of the capture,
leaped on horse, drove 1t over an
embankment, rolling with the animal
to the bottom. He lay there stunned
and Scarface, believing he had been
killed, rode back to his prisoners.
Pulling open the door of the box.
car, Polly and her companions were
lifted in and placed In row on the
floor, all bound beyond the possibility
Of escape.
An outlaw then climbed to the top
of the car and released the brakes /;
Mt the same time another threw a
switch that let the car with its help.
less human freight run out with ever.
| increasing speed on to the single-track