s r,
nn; omaiia scxdav mkiv. oTor,i-;R n. ion.
LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
PhY
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0
11TH INSTALLMENT
Tne photo-drama corresponding to the installment t of
The Trey 0' Hearts " may now be seen at the leading
moving picture theaters. By this unique Arrangement
vxih the Universal Film Mfg. Co. ft fs therefore nc4 onlt
possible to read " the Trey 0' Hearts " tn this paper,
but also to see each Installment of ft at the moving
pkture theaters.
(Cepyrlfat, 1(14. t7 Inli Joavpk Vanaa.;
. THE PAINTED HILLS
STWOPSI" Tha I af llaarta It th "dath-alsn" m
l0Td br Sfaar Trlaa In tha prlvaia war of vanfaanaa
which, thrnnih III ttmrf of bit daufhtrr Jadllh, a warn an
af rtol.nt paaalona Ilka hia own. ha wf.a atainat Alaa Law,
on of tka man. now d'ad. who waa Innocantly raaponalkla
for tha arciarnt whlrn rndr4 Trlna a halplaaa orlppl.
Alaa l)Ta Una. Jadlth'a twin and douhla. but In all atbar
raapeta hr prarlaa appoatt. Judith promlaa har fatbtr
' to compaaa Alaa'a dwath, bat nndr dramatic rlreumataneaa
ka aavaa hr Ufa and ao, unwIIMaair. wlna hr lava. Thro-
aftr Judith la by turna anlmatad by tka aid ha trad, tha
a Iot. aad Jaalaiiar of Itoaa.
I DETAIL.
Across the plain purple shadows were sweeping,
close-ranked. Ilka torn vsst dark army Invading
the land, pouring on OTr the rampart of moun
tains li tha east '
Within tha rim of hills that ringed the plain like
tha chipped and broken flange of a tltanlo saucer,
silence brooded and solitude held sway dwarfing
the town of Detail that occupied the approilmate
middle of the sagebrush waste, to proportions even
lets significant than night be Inferred from the
candor of Its christening.
platform, a siding, a water tank, a WellsFargo
office and a telegraph and ticket office, hacked by
three rough frame buildings; that Is Detsll Item
ised completely.
Shortly after nightfall a freight train paused at
Detail. Its crew alighted and engaged In animated
argument Detail gathered that the excitement
was due to the unaccountable disappearance of
the caboose: none seemed to have any notion as
' to bow it could hare broken loose; yet missing It
conspicuously was.
In the pause thst followed, while a report was
telegraphed to headquarters and Instructions re
turned to proceed without delay, one of the trnln
men spied a boyish figure lurking In the open door
of an empty box car. Cunningly boarding this car
from the opposite side, the trainman caught the
skulker unawares and booted him valngloiioualy
Into the Bight.
As the figure alighted and took to Us heels, los
ing Itself In the darknesn, It uttered a cry of pained
surprise and protest which -drew a wrinkle of as
tonishment between the brows of the trainman.
"Bounded like a woman'a voice," be mused; than
dismissed the suggestion as obviously absurd.
It was not. ...
Shortly after the freight train had gone on Ita
way before, indeed, the glimmer of Its rear lights
had been lost among the western hills a second
headlight appeared in the east, awept swiftly across
the plain and in turn stopped at Detail.
The second blrd-of passage i-roved to be a loco
notiTe drawing a single car-!- Pullman.
Hardly had It run past the switch, however, when
the brakeman dropped down, ran quickly back to
the switch, threw It open and dropped the Pullman
on a siding. ' . .
By the time that the Pullman had come to a full
stop pa the siding, th locomotive wss swinging
westward like a scared rtbblt though no such"
mtlk-and-wstery , chnracN : .zrtlon of the traitor
passed the Hps of any ono of three men who pres
ently appeared on the Pullman's platform and
. shook impotent flats In the direction taken by the
' fa si tire engine. ( ,
When the last of these bad run temporarily out
of breath and blasphemy, a brief silence fell, punc
tuated by groans from each, and concluded by the
sound of a rolce calling from the Interior of tha
ear a voice as strangely sonorous of tone as It
was curiously querulous of accent.
The three men immediately ran back Into the
ear and presented themselves with countenances
variously apologetio, to one who occupied a corner
of the drawing room: a man wrapped In a steamer
rug and a cloud of fury.
Now when he had drafned the muddy froth of
profanity from his temper it left a clear and ef
fervescent well of virulent humor: the wrath of
the valetudinarian began to vent itself upon the
hapless heads of the trio who stood before htm.
Now while this waa in process, the person of boy
ish appearance, who hsd been keeping religiously
aloof and inconspicuous In the background of De
tail ever since that unhappy affair with the train
nan, stole quietly up to the rear of the stalled
' Pullman, climbed aboard, and creeping down the
aisle unceremoniously Interrupted the conference
Just as the invalid was polishing off a rude hut
honest opinion of the Intellectual caliber of one ot
the three named Marrophat
"Amen to that!" the boyish person ejaculated
with candid fervor, lounging gracelessly in the
doorway. "There'a many a true word spoken In
wrath, Mr. Marrophat. Father forgot only one
thing your masterly way with a revolver. From
what I've seen of that, this dsy, I'll go ball that the
only safe place for a man you pull a gun on la
right in front of the muzzle. There'a something
downright uncanny In the way you can hit any
thing but what you aim at!"
"Judlth!".exclalraed the invalid. "Where did you
drop from?"
"From that freight." Judith explained carelessly,
neglecting to elucidate the exact fashion of her
drop. I Judged you'd be along presently, and
thought rd like to learn the news.- Well what
luck?"
Her father shrugged with his one movable shoul
er. Mr. Marrophat grunted indignantly.
"None?" Judith Interpreted. "You don't mean to
tell me that after I had takea all that trouble
cast the caboose loose in the middle of that trestle
at the risk of my life you didn't have the nerve to
go through with the business!"
"We went through with it all right," replied Mar
rophat defensively; "but s usual, tbey were too
quick tor us. They Jumped out and dropped off
the trestle before our engine hit the caboose."
The girl started to speak, but merely dropped
Wrap hands at her sides and rolled her eyes help
lessly. "We do our best." observed Marrophat "We
can't be blamed if something somehow always
happens to tip the others off."
The girl swung to face him with biasing eyes.
"Jutt what does that mean?" she demanded In a
dangerous voice.
alarroDbat lifted his shoulders. "Nothing
much," he allowed. "I am only thinking how
strange it Is that Mr. Law can't be oaught by any
sort of stratagem when you are on the Job, Mlsa
Judith!"
The girl's hands were clenched Into fists, white
knuckles showing through the flesh. "Tou con
temptible puppy!" she snapped. . . .
Put on this her voice failed; for her eyes trav
eled past the person of Mr. Marrophat to the door
way of the drawing room and found tt framing a
stranger.
"Excuae me, friends," he offered in a lazy, semi
humorous drawl. "It pains me considerable to butt
in on this happy family gathering, but business Is
business, same as usual, and I got to ast you all
to please put up your hands!"
"What do you want?" Trine demanded.
"Why." drawled the bandit, "nothing In partlcu-lar-only
your cash. 8hfll out. If you please
gents all and the lady, too." He ran an apprecia
tive glance down the figure which Judith's disguise
revested rather than concealed. "t youU pardon
my takln' notice," he amended.. "Perhaps I would't
If the lady's clothes didn't fit her so all-flred
quick!"
"Keep a civil tongue in your hesd. my man!" ..
Judith counseled, without any show of fear.
At the same time her father'a vorre brought her -to
her senses. '
"Judith! Be quiet. Let me deal with this gen
tleroan. I am, sure we can come to some arrange-
ment."
"Tou bet your life," agreed the gentleman as the
girl mutinously stepped back. "I know what I
put op for the night. I kindly directed them, oa
to Mesa, dowa In the Painted hills yonder."
II FIREPLAT.
Contented with the promise of a thousand dol
lars advance on his contract, proving he returned
with horses within a stipulated time, Mr. Hop!
James Blade drifted quietly away Into the desert
night.
It was Msrrorbst and not his daughter, whom
Trine designated to load the expedition, cun
ningly counting on Judith's chagrin to work upon
her passions and excite her to one last, mad, blind
attempt that should prove successful.
Smiling his secret smile. Trine announoed his
decision at the last moment, while Hopi Jim waited
with his horses and an assistant one Texas for
whose otter innocence of scruples Mr. Slade un
hesitatingly vouched.
Sullenly submissive, at least in outward seem
ing, Judith bowed to this declnlon, marched out of
the ear, and suffered Marrophat to help her mount
her horse.
Now, deliberately, as the little cavalcade rode
through the moonlit desert night, the girl maneu
vered her horse to the side of Hopi Jim.
As deliberately she set herself to work upon the
bandit's susceptibility to her 'charms.
Within an hour she had him ready to do anything
to win her smile.
In that first rush of golden day athwart the land,
the party came quietly Into the town of Mesa.
It waa to be termed a town only in courtoay,
this Mesa: a straggling street of shacks, ram-
Judlth second, Hopi Jim and Texas but little in
the rear. And In the first rush they seemed to
gain; moment by moment they drew up on the
flying cloud of dust
Judith heard an oath muttered beside her and
saw Marrophat Jerking a revolver from Its holster.
The weapon swept up and to a level; but as the
hammer fell, Judith's horse csrromed heavily
against the other; swinging it half a dozen feet
aside, and deflecting the bullet hopelessly.
Simultaneously, as If taking the ahot as the sig
nal for a fusillade, Judith saw Alan lean back over
his horse's rump and open fire.
An Instant later his companion, Barcus, imitated
h's example.
In Immediate consequence, Texas dropped reins,
slumped forward over the pommel, wabbled weak
ly in his saddle for a moment, then losing the stir
rups, pitched headlong to the ground; while Hopi
Jim's horse stopped short, precipitating his rider
overhead, and dropped dead.
in THE UPPER TRAIL.
In the ten minutes' .delay necessitated by this
reverse, a number of more or less Innocent by
standers picked up the man Texas and carried
him off to breathe his last beneath a roof; Hopi
Jim picked himself up, brushed his person tolerably
clear of clouds of dust and profanity, and departed
in search of a mount
Incidentally the fugitives disappeared round a
bend In the road that led directly into the wild
. and barred heart of the Painted hills.
In. the brief Interval that elapsed before his re-
a
f frm i i iiiin hi i mi i i "in n imiiaiii.iw i iiuy, ww
I k &?
; . IK J A
JC : -A aawwaaBrw
,9 rv
t
tt
"Excuse Me Friends, but I Cot te Ask You to Hold Up Your Hande."
want.'und j mi nil know you got it: so the name of
the said arrangement Is Just 'shall out'."
"One minute," the invalid interpoaed. "Don't
misunderstand me: I guarantee you shall be amply
satisfied. I give you my word the word of Seneca
Trine."
The eyes of the bandit widened. "No? Is that
so? 8eneca Trine, the railroad king? Sure's you're
born you're him."
"I'll pay you far more handsomely than you
dream of if you'll do as I wish," Trine Interrupted
quickly. "Do mo the service I wish and name
your price: whatever it is, you shall have it!"
"Nothing could be falrer'n that!" the two-gun
man admitted suspiciously. "But what's the num
ber of this here service like you call" It?"
"Listen to me." Trine bent his head forward
and Jabbed the air with an emphatio forefinger.
"What's the life of a man worth la this neck ot
the woods?"
"How much you got?"
"I'll pay you ten thousand dollars for the life of
the man I will name."
-The eyes of the bandit narrowed. "Hold on, my
friend: is that what you call my naming my own '
price?"
"Name it, then, " said Seneca Trine tersely.
"Give me a thousand on account," said the other,
"and a paper ssylng you'll pay me nineteen thou
sand more In exchange for It and one dead man.
properly identified as the one you want signed
by you and your man's as good as dead this min
ute, providing he's In riding distance of this here
waved hts hand at hie secretary. "Jimmy:
find a thousand dollars for this gentlemen. Make
out the paper he Indicates for the balance, and Til
slgo It."
"Ain't you powerful ' .trustful, Mr. Trine? How
do you know I'll do anything more'n pocket that
thousand and fade delicately away."
"My daughter and this gentleman. Mr. Marro
phat. will accompany you "
"Oh, that's the way of it. Is it?"
"Name?" Interjected the secretary, writing busl
1 with the top of his attache case for a desk.
"Slade,"-said the bandit "James Slade, common
ly known as Hopi Jim. That's me."
"Then attend closely, Mr. Slsde." Again Trine
psnctured the atmosphere with his index finger.
"The man whose life I want is named Alan Law.
He Is running away with my daughter, Rose, ac
companied by a person named Barcus, disguised as
a Pullman porter "
"The three ot them having recent' escaped fvosa
a train wreck up yonder on the trestle?" Hopi Jlsa
interposed.
"You've met them?" Judith demanded.
''About an hour ago, or maybe an hour and a
half." Hopi Jim replied, "a good ways down the
road. They stopped and ast where they could get
shackle relics of what had once been a promising
community.
Midway In this string of edifices the hotel stood
a rough, unpainted, wooden . edifice, mainly ve
randah and barroom as to its lower floor.
Jealously Judith watched the windows of the sec
ond floor: and she alone of the four detected the
face that showed for one brief Instant well back
In the shadows beyond one of the bedroom win
dows. Her eyes alone, Indeed, could have recognized
the features of Alan Law In that fugitive glimpse.
Two sentences exchanged between Hopi Jim and
a blear-eyed fellow whom he roused from sodden
slumbers behind the bar sealed their confidence
with conviction: the three fugitives were in fact
guests of the house.
In the rush that followed up the narrow stair
way, Judith led with such spirit that not even Mar
rophat suspected her revolver waa poised solely
with Intent to shoot from his hand bis own re
volver the Instant he leveled It at & human target
Closed and locked doors confronted them; and
their summons educed no response; while the first
door, when broken in by a whole-souled kick, dis
covered nothing more satisfactory than an empty
room, its bed bearing the imprint ot a woman'a
body, but that woman gone.
So it aeemed that the three muat have had warn
ing of tholr arrival, after all; and presumably were
now herded together in the adjoining room, which
looked out over the verandah roof, waiting in fear
and trembling for the assault that must soon come
and in fact Immediately did.
But it met with more stubborn resistance than
had been anticipated. The door had been barri
caded from within re-enforced by furniture placed
against it Four minutes and the united efforts of
four men (Including the bleary loafer of the bar
room) were required to overcome its inert resist
ance. But even when ifwas down, the room was
found to be as empty as the first
Only the fingers of two hands gripping the edge
of the verandah roof ahowed the way the fugitives
had flown; and these vanished Instantly as the
room was Invaded.
Followed a swift rush of hoofs down the dusty
street and a chorus ot blasphemy In the hotel hall
way: for Judith had headed the concerted ruth, for
the staircase and contrived to block it for a full
half minute by pretending to stumble and twist
her ankle. 1 -
In spite of that alleged injury, she never limped,
and wasn't a yard behind the first who broke front
the hotel to the open, nor yet appreciably behind
him In vaulting to saddle.
Well up the road a cloud ot smoky dust half ob
scured the shapes of three who rode for their very
lives.
The pursuit vraa off in a twinkling and well
bunched Marrophat s mount leading by a nose.
turn with Hopi Jim, Marrophat contrived to per
suade the bandit that Judith had been, at least indi
rectly, responsible for the catastrophe, with the
upshot that, temporarily blinded to her fascinations
by the glitter of nineteen thousand dollars in the
near distance, Mr. Slade maintained his distance and
a deaf ear to her blandishments. The only informa
tion as to their purpose that she was able to ex
tract from either man, when the pursuing party
turned aside from the main trail, some distance
from Mesa, was that Hopi Jim knew a' short cut
through the range, via what he termed the upper
trail, by which they hoped to be able to head the
fugitives off before they could gain the desert on
the far 6lde of the hills.
Only at long Intervals did they draw rein to per
mit Hopi Jim to make reconnolssance of the lower
trail that threaded the valley on the far side of
the ridge pole.
Towsrd noon he returned in haste from the last
of these surveys scrambling recklessly down the
mountain-side and throwing himself upon his horse
with the advice:
"We've headed 'em can make it now if we ride
like all get-out!"
For half an hour more they pushed on at the
best speed to be obtained from their weary ani
mals, at length drawing rein at a point where the
trail crossed the ridge and widnned out upon a
long, broad ledge that overhung the valley of the
lower trail, with a clear drop to the latter from the
brink of a good two hundred feet
One ha;ty look back and down into the valley
evoked a grunt of satisfaction from Hopi Jim.
"Just In time." he asseverated. "Here they
come! Ten minutes more ..."
"What are you going to do?" Judith demanded,
reining her horse In beside Marrophat as the latter
dismounted.
A gesture drew her attention to a huge boulder
poised Insecurely on the very Up of the chasm.
"We're going to tip that over on your friends,
, Miss Judith!" Marrophat replied, with a smack or
relish in his voice. "Simple neat efficient eh?
What more can you ask?"
She answered only with an irrepressible gesture
of horror. Marrophat's laugh followed her as she
turned away.
For some moments she strained her vision vain
lyjsndeavoring to penetrate the turbulent currents
of superheated air that filled the valley. Then she
made out Indistinctly the faintly marked line of the
lower trail; and Immediately she caught a glimpse
of three small figures, mounted, tolling painfully
toward the point where death awaited them like a
bolt from the blue.
Hastily she glanced ove.r-ehoulder: Hopi Jim and
Marrophat Ignoring her, were straining themselves
against the boulder without budging it an inch,
for all its apparent nicety of poise. For an instant
a wild hope flashed through Her mind, but tt was
immediately exorcized when Hopi Jim stepped back
and uttered a few words of which only two "dyna
mite" and "fuse" reached her ears.
Kneeling beside the boulder he dug busily for
an Instant, then lodged the stick to his satisfaction
and attached the fuse.
But while he was so engaged and Marrophat
aided him, all eager intfsmt, Judith was taking ad
vantage of their disregard of her.
Hurriedly unbuttoning her Jacket, she whipped
a playing card from her pocket, a Trey of Hearts,
and with the stub of a pencil scribbled three words
on its face "Danger! Go back!"
Then finding a small, flatfish bit of rock, aho
bound the card to It with a bit of string; and with
ono more backward glance to make sure she was
not watched, approached the brink.
In the canyon below the three were within two
minutes of the danger point.
It was no trick at all to drop the stone so that it
fell within a dozen feet of the leading horseman.
She saw him rein In suddenly, dismount, cast a
look aloft then dismount and pick up the warning.
At the same time Hopi Jim and Marrophat
Jumped up and ran back, each seizing aad holding
his horse by nose and bridle.
Constrained to do likewise lest she lose her
mount Judith waited with a lightened heart . . .
The explosion smote dull echoes from the flanks
of the Painted hills, all drowsing in the noon-day
hush: the boulder teetered reluctantly on the brink,
then disappeared with a tearing sound, followed by
a rush of earth and gravel; a wide gap appeared
in the brink of the trail.
Leaving Marrophat to hold the two frightened
horses while the girl soothed her own, the bandit
rushed to the edge, threw himself flat and swore
bitterly, with an accent of grievance, as he rose.
From the canyon below a dull rumor of gallop
ing boors advertised too plainly the failure of their
attempt.
And Hopi Jim turned back only to find Judith,
mounted, reining her horse In between him and
Marrophat, and prepared to give emphasis to what
she had to say with an automatic pistol that nestled
snugly In her palm.
"One moment, Mr.Slade." she suggested evenly;
"Just a moment before you break the sad news to
Mr. Marrophat. I've something to say that needs
your attention likewise, your respect It is this:
I am parting company with you and Mr. Marrophat
I am riding on toward the west, by this trail. If
either of you care to follow me" the automatic
flashed ominously in the sun glare "it will be with
full knowledge of the consequences. Mr. Marro
phat will enlighten you If you have any doubt of
my ability to take care of myself In such affairs as
this. If you are well advised, you will turn hack
and report failure to my father."
She nodded curtly' and swung her horse round.
"And what shall I tell your father from you?"
Marrophat demanded sharply.
"What you please," the girl replied, flashing an
impish smile over-shoulder. "But, since when I.
part company with you, I part with him as well
for all of me, you may tell him to go to the devil!"
"Well," Mr. Marrophat almitted confidentially to
Mr. Slade. "I'm damned!"
"And that ain't all," Mr Slade confided In Mr.
Marrophat, whipping out his own revolver: "you're
being held up, too. I'll take those guns of yourn,
friend, and what else you've got about you that's
or vaiue. Including your hoss and when you get
back to Old Man Trine you can just tell him, wltk
my best compliments, that I've quit the Job and lit
out after-that daughter of hls'n. She's a heap sight
more attractive than nineteen thousand dollars, and
not half so hard to earn!"
TV BURNT FINGERS.
Once she had lost touch with her father's crea
tures, he girl drew rein and went on more slowly
and cautiously.
Below her, in the vallsy, the lower trail wound
Its facile way. From time to time she could dis
cern upon some naked stretch of its length a cloud
of dust, or perhaps three mounted figures, scurrying
madly on with fear of death snapping at their heels.
It was within an hour of midnight, a night bell
clear and bitter cold on the heights, and bright
with moonlight, when Alan's party made its last
pause and camped to rest against the dawn, uncon
scious of the fact that, a quarter of a mile above
them, on the upper trail, a lonely woman paused
when they paused and made her own camp on the
edge of a sharp declivity.
-The level shafts of the rising sun awakened her.
She sat up, rubbed her eyes, yawned, stretched
limbs stiff with the hardship of sleeping on unyield
ing, sun-baked earth and of a sudden started up,
surprised by the grating of footsteps oa the earth
behind her.
Before she could turn, however, she waa caught
and wrapped In the arms of Hopi Jlm.v
She mustered all her strength and wits and will
for one last struggle and in a frenzied moment
managed to break his hold a trifle, enough to en
able her to snatch at the pistol hanging from her
belt and present It at his head.
But it exploded harmlessly, spending its bullet
on the blue of the morning sky.
And now all hint of mercy left his eyes: remained
only the glare of rage. He put forth all his
strength In turn, and Judith was as a child in his
hands. In half a minute he had her helpless, la
as much time more her back was breaking across
his knee, while he bound her with loop after loop
of his rawhide lariat.
Then, leaving her momentarily supine on the
ground, Hopi Jim caught and unhobbled her horse,
and without troubling to saddle It lifted the girl
to Its back and placed her there.
She panted a prayer for mercy. He laughed in
her face, bent and kissed her brutally, and stepped
back, still laughing, to admire bis handiwork . . .
Thus he stood for an instant between the horse
and the edge of the declivity, a fair mark, stark
against the sky. for one who stood in the valley
below, folding his rifle with esger fingers, waiting
Just such opportunity with the Impatience that ho
had waited It ever since the noise of debris klcksd
over the edge by the struggling man and woman
had drawn hta attention to what was going oa
above.
As Alan pressed the trigger and the shot sounded
clear la the morning stillness, Judith saw a look of
aggrieved amasement cross the face of Hopi Jim
Slade.
Then he threw his hands out. clawed blindly at
the air, staggered, reeled against the horse's flank
ao heavily that It shied in fright, and abruptly shot
from sight over the edge of the bluff.
I 'To onttned )
VI
