Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-06-07
A DELLNEATOR
OF HEROES

nath. The terror | inspire does not
come from my bravery, my Skill with
the revolver or my strength. | am
rather tinld couldn't hit barn
door with n bullet, and | am but i've
foot three.
Now. how do / strike terror into the
citizens Of this reglonf ! win tell you
When | came out to this benighGed
conntry. with my dellcately cut cameo
face. my six and q half lady's kid
hand and my "a shoe. | was cansil
arel too Insignificant 10 be noticed by
the more manly inhabitants, but was
Subjected To continued annoyances by
those who were mean enough TO take
advantage OF my diminutiye size But
one man really threatened me. and
have always excused him, for FELL
in love wrh his daughter, and the
worst of 1t was she preferred me and
my intellectual tastes to the muscular
bullet perforatng men OF the frontier.
When Bill Stanh0pe, Lucy's father,
learned how the land lay he Informed
ne In the extravagant language of
New Mexico that II he ever caught me
with Lucy he would "let enough sum
shine through ME to light church
/ was riding one day through n lone.
ly valley ana on emerging from a wood
saw in an open space just below me
two men approaching each other on
horseback. At first | supposed they
were riding up to have a talk. but
suddenly one OF them raised Win.
chester and fired Mt the other. Then
I saw that they were Zeb Gallagher,
the most dreaded desperate in New
Mexico. and Bill Stanhope. saw
stanho~e's bat fall to the ground and
concluded the bullet had knocked II
of. He took II mighty coolly, |
thought didn't know that he hap
pened to be short OF cartridges-rode
on slowly without firing till he got
within better range, then raised his
rife. took sure aim aud fired. There
was a rapid exchange of shots after
this for few seconds, neither man
doing much damage.
II looked as II had one chance In
ten TO be relieved OF the man who
stood between me and happiness. but
somehow thought OF, Lucy and how
her fathers death would break her
heart and wondered what / had better
do Stanhope had come to within
hundred yards OF me: Gallagher was
still 500 yards away. The first thing
knew Gallagher threw away his rife
and came on the gaiiop for Stanhope
with his revolver. l knew by this that
he was out of ammunition and looked
for Stanhope to XIII him with a rifle
bullet before he came up. But Stan
hope was evidently In the same fix,
for he, too, dropped his rifle and be
gan firing with his revolver. | counted
eleven shots between the two, then
saw Stanhope toss his revolver to the
ground, fold his arms and sit quietly
In the saddle, evidently waiting for
Gallagher TO finish him. Gallagher de
liberately examined his revolver. and,
taking five cartridges from his pocket,
added them to the one left there.
While ne was doing so | dismounted,
and, scurrying along on foot behind
~" 'NA7ANss VIZ w tSNAhhOtN 'st'
handed him my revolver. AS Gallagher
was putting in the last cartridge Stan
hope shot him dead
never shall forget the expression
on Stanhope's face as he turned his
eyes from his falling enemy and rest
ed them on me. without whose timely
Interference he would by this time
ha a a II Ixk..l Oh nc
all over from the crown Of my head to
the soies Of my feet, apparently strug
Cling up to a realization of the fact
that he was indebted for his life to
such an infnitesimal specimen OF a
man.
sonny" he said presently what
did you do it fort"
We'll, to tell you the truth, Mr.
stanhOpe. at first hoped he'd down
you; then I'd be free to marry Lucy
But when / came to consider how she
would feel about it wanted you to
win"
Il didn't suppose you could talk sc
near like man. You own me. since If
II hadn't been for you ia have been q
dead man this minute You can have
Lucy, but what are you going TO dc
with her? You can never live in peace
among people who don't fear you. III
tell you what we can do. I'll inform
the community that 1t was you' who
Killed Gallagher"
That's an idear' l replied.
what do you want to make of your
sell" he asked after pause.
want TO run my little ranch and
serlbhle."
"Scribble whatr'
Stories articles, anything in the lit.
erary line"
Wen, you go home, and hereafter
you'll be known as the man who Killed
uailagher | reckon you won't be pes
efed much after that job. And so far
as Lucy is concerned, why, IL she's
willing TO take man who has more re-
epect for pen than revolver | sup
pose under the altered circumstances
bNgWa