The trey of spades

"The trey of spades" by W. C. Tuttle is a Western novel written in the early 20th century. It follows drifting cowboys Hashknife Hartley and Sleepy Stevens, whose search for a peaceful home on the Thunder range pulls them into a lively mix of saloon politics, ranch tensions, and a masked bandit’s crime spree, all entwined with the fortunes of the Parker family. The tale blends action, humor, and a whodunit thread around the mysterious “Trey of Spades.”

The opening of the story finds Hashknife and Sleepy riding into the Thunder range, vowing to mind their own business, only to be mistaken for a fleeing outlaw by Sheriff Jud Farley and deputy Buck Hardy who are chasing the Trey of Spades. They land jobs at the Maverick ranch with sorrowing Dad Parker and his capable daughter Mildred, meet a resentful, drunken Cliff Parker who publicly insults the visiting minister, and cross paths with suave Vincent Roche and volatile Blackie Dahl—whom Sleepy coolly disarms in the Cheyenne saloon. When Mildred asks their help to meet Dorothy Clement’s train quietly, a fresh holdup hits a jeweler in Oxbow, and the outlaw leaves his calling card. Behind the store, Hashknife and Sleepy find Cliff wounded, scattered jewelry nearby, and the bandit’s mask, prompting Hashknife to smuggle him home under wraps and extract birdshot while breaking the news to Dad. Determined to keep Cliff under cover until the dust settles, Hashknife rides back to town to gauge what the law has learned, as the Countess—a poised singer who captivates the saloon—keeps the town’s attention elsewhere.