Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-12-11
BELLE OF HORSESHOE GULCH

BY HERBERT HAYWOOD.

1 pY i1EfSbIfGI ItfI4 WOoD. m
Copyright 1893 by w. r. Hearst, Great
Britain Rights Reserved.)
] In the early morning the Concord mail
| stage, drawn by four horses. and filled
1 with passengers, pulled up in front of The
Miners Rest, the only hotel in the little
mountain town of Fairplay, Colo.
The driver made a picture as he sat
there lightly lingering the reins, his dark
handsome face glowing under his droop-
| ing sombrero. A fair girl, with soft hair,
| just the color of corn silk, shared his seat,
and thought them the handsomest pair
| had ever seen.
| / hesitatedl to climb to my place on the
| other side of the driver, for i did not like
to interrupt this mountain idyl, but nei-
Their OF them minded me in the least They
| were a world unto themselves; l, a cler-
| syman on my summer vacation, but an
1 incident; nothing more.
They resumed their conversation after
| had left it.
Allie" the driver said in a deep
chested voice. with half drawl; they're
| tonight; the camp is year old and the
| boys are going 10 whoop it, UP. Your
has gone away, but l am here to protect
| YOU" Then lowering his voice to. a wf1is-
| per- IF there was parson up there, we
| the horses, he put his hand in his pocket
and drew out marriage license, which
mo, no. jim; sorter like YOU, but it is
too sudden. allow YOU are mighty handy
with gun, but getting married requires
| Consideration; why, my girl, I've con-
sidered you ever since you. We're knee
high. You're the only spoke. in my wheel
1 hate to run We into Horseshoe today.
It'll cause strife; you're too handsome.
You. should have told your dad you was
II wanted to surprise father and the
girl blpshed charmingly.
| down among the trees lay the log cab
! ms and rough pine shaclis of Horseshoe
camp The drive" put his loot on the
and sent them into the gulch at a furious
rate and dashed up to the Top Over hotel.
t MID aa Of
men stood up at the rude bar drinking.
In one corner an old miner was tiddling
dance tunes, and men that weighed 200
were stepping it off. and slapping the
floor with their feet.
II this mad revel but one man wa, was
sitting at the only card table that had
not been tilted up against the wall. He
had held a winning. hand throughout the
night, and a big pile of yellow gold was
beside his gun.
A crowd surrounded the table watching
na eyeS the rver ed n the
pot. A disappointed murmur arose from
them. as he got up and said, in his slow
dr ..Ma:, no,s ,,tt.
You've "a done up up Bill Allen, driver.
said big man who was the leader e. Of
off and give him no show TO get even
we allow it's time we took hand. You've
got to play it out square, and were
here to see you do it.
Not a trace of emotion was visible in
the driver. voice as he answered:
say the deal cal, was x,a square are eorc wasn't mt
"a FAM take Uncle mel sans ms mall nail out at ssnup
or daylight would shine through some
| He coolly picked up his gun with one
hand and pocketed the gold with the he
and stood at his side. Without turning
/ his head he said to me:
.'HaNe you got a. gun. parson? Draw
l it, then; don't get ratified, and follow me.
| The horses are waiting outside"
I The crowd meantime had wheeled ana
blocked our way to the door r. me his leaaep
| but the drivers gun rang out and the
4 other mans was, shot from his hand and
on the 9of f. the he's esaIf pssot
I and the fair-haired Allie, with, plstol
1 cooked iE3 each hand. advanced step py
i step Through the crowd and stood at the
/ drivers side
The men looked at her in open-mouthed
aTom Nelson's Allie said. the leader,
4 Come over here, girl, this 'er shooting
is no place der Yor your safety
4 10 Tom Do you think We're ), going e ping TO to
| stand right here and see the driver get
a away with Bill Aliens gold and you into
the bargain? He's no call to abduct you.
4 He came /, pace nearer and held out
STAND cried the girl, and flashing her
i ewes around on the crowd, she continued:
"You all know, boys, whether Tom Mel
sons Allie is at home with these shooting
n irons or not" and she thrust forward the
Il pistols.
stWho says I've not the right to protect
Allie?p the driver Numbered, passing ms
arm around her waist. and covering the
NaCuick now, parson splice u.s. he said
to me- Then in q voice which sent an
amazed hush over the, reyelers ! pro pro.
nounced them man and wife. The echo
gether let not man put asunder, had not
died away ere the. driver seized the mo
mentary lull and shouted:
..All aboard for F'airplay, aud we
dashed out and into the coach and were ere
off followed by bullets which the enraged
! miners sent after us as thick as ha1l
Il ga little shower of lead. instead OF
4 rice" laughed the bride, but you, jim,
i TI.I've better than that Allie. I've got
| you,l the belle of Horseshoe Gulch, the