The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-05-13
levR,e,r. ,Sz sr wyAaAAM
EPISODE NO. 10.
NAT HAS GONE BEFORE.

WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE.
Dick and Polly Van Brunt hold one
Of six pieces Of chart nag, the only
key to the location Of q buried treasure.
These nix pieces were divided and scat
tered years before. Scarface has one and
schemes to get the others and the treas
ure. He kills Polly's father and gets her
Dag. Dick is Joined by other fiag-holders
and they set out after Scarface. After
many adventures with the outlaws, they
are lured into blind trail and an explo-
sion buries them under an avalanche of
rock.
Dicks car, rolling along the blind
ravine, reached point almost be-
meath the boulder, when Scarface gave
the signal and the huge mass Of rock
was toppled down on to the car. Death
seemed certain, but Teel, who sus-
pected treachery, was looking aloft
and saw the peril and shouted warn
ing, enabling the occupants Of the car
to throw themselves to one side just
as the boulder crashed through the
top and flooring to the very ground.
Badly bruised In the accompanying
shower Of smaller stones, the treasure
hunters huddled close to the cliff, as
Diaz, seeing the trap had failed, leaped
from the running board OF Teel's car
and scrambled up the side Of the cliff,
aided by rope dropped over the top
by the outlaws. A bullet from Dicks
pistol knocked him of the rope, but
he fell on the upper side Of the boul-
der, and together with his evil COM
panions, quickly made good his escape.
$50 Diaz was traitor" remarked
Dick as the other disappeared with
the foiled gang. ~ only wish ] had
known 1t little while ago when l
could have got my hands on him. He
must be someone that Scarface has
picked up since we got over into Mex
leo, for he was not with the original
gang. Anyhow, I guess winged him,
and he may be sure that I won't for
get that face Of his II we ever meet
again. That makes one more score
We have got to settle up with that
crew. But as for now, the next thing
for us to do Is to see how we can get
out Of this fix for that boulder seems
to have blocked the way pretty ef-
fectually."
The boulder, although II had failed
In its mission of death, effectively
blocked the way out Of the blind ra-
vine, but luckily there was dynamite
In the ruined car and II was an easy
matter to blow the boulder out Of the
way, after which all entered Techs
car and gained the main trail.
A council Of war was quickly held.
Well, they knew that they would never
be safe as long as Scarface and his
friends were free to work mischief
upon them, therefore 1t seemed wisest
to try and trail them now when the
tracks Of the others we're plain and
they had but short start. II they
could come upon the others by sur.
prise and make them prisoners they
could make them powerless to follow
them, and thus would be able to con
tinue their journey in safety. A vote
was taken and all were In favor OF
m immediate pursuit Of the fleeing
outlaws.
Taking the track Of the flying would
be assassins they put on all speed and
fairly few over the surface of tht
desert. So plain and fresh was the
track they followed that they were
able to gain the former shack of tn,
outlaws within, very short time
Feeling sure that they now had thei
foes at their mercy, they approached
the shack warily There was no sount
or signs Of life within, but fully de
termined that they would not b.
caught In any trap which Scnrfac'
might live set for them, they use,
the utmost caution. Reaching tn
outside door they listened for me
ment, and then assured that thei
approach had not been noted by tn
gang they burst open the door an