The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1909-11-13
Shooting the Editor
(Copyrisht, by Short Stories Co.. Ltd)
By RICHARD SAUNDERS GRAVES

man with haxen hair and blue eyes !
knew, somehow, that had found him,
even before l had asked his name.
He stood talking to a man who wore
an apron and was without hat or coat
You are Swanson, are you not?" l
asked.
Il am" he answered in clear
voice. What can l do for your
Fuller is here to kill you," l said.
HE came up from Sand Creek to-day.
l was on the train with him. I just
left him at the Courier Office"
"Ay know ham," said Swanson. In
his surprise at the announcement he
unconsciously went back to the Ian
guage he had spoken in the Wisconsin
| lumber camps before he had attended
college and became a scholar and an
athlete. With the man wearing an
apron he went into rear room and
I sought safety in the thickest of the
crowd and awaited developments.
Other men were called into the back
room and the crowd grew more dense
about the bar. 1t was probably an
hour before Fuller came in. :
No sooner had he reached the cen.
/ va VI thS AOhS OhA tAoA hC was III
| vited to take drink by a tall miner
who had but recently come from the
| back room. Fuller refused to drink
and the miner became offended. He
raised his voice and talked loudly
about the insult Fuller tried to shove
him aside, but the tall man crowded
him toward the back of the room and
became more and more abusive.
The ranchman was not coward,
and when he deemed the proper time
had come he reached for his revol-
vers. The holsters were empty!
At the same moment that Fuller
reached toward his belt the offended
miner drew revolver and began to
shoot. Other revolvers cracked at
about the same time and the room
was rapidly filling with smoke. Full
ler's shoulder was grazed and his hat
had two holes in it. In spite of his
natural bravery it was plain that he
was frightened.
At that instant Swanson emerged
from the back room with a revolver
in each hand, which he emptied in the
direction of the big miner, who
pitched forward to the floor. Two
others with revolvers in their hands
also fell, and Swanson seized Fuller
by the arm, dragging him through
the narrow passage and out at the
back door,
1t was more than a year later that
l was coming out of Denver one night
on an east-bound train. In the smok-
ing compartment of the sleeper I saw
Swanson, well dressed and apparently
; prosperous and happy. His blue eyes
were bright with laughter as l glanced
; at him. He was on his feet as soon
as he looked at me.
I've been searching for you for
! over year. he said grasping my
hand "Will you tell me why you
didn't register at the hotel that night
. in Gold Gulch?'
| had to admit that the excitement
incident to the killing of three men
e had upset me and that l had forgot
ten to register.
!, Killing of three men," he quoted
= and laughed loud and long. Come
back here where my wife is and III
tell you the whole story"
u We found Mrs. Swanson, who haG
been Susie Fuller, in the sleeper, play
!, ing with the baby. Mrs. Swanson was
a pretty girl with dark-brown eyes
'and hair and a color that looked al
= the richer beside her fair husband
!, After learning my name and introduc
:, ing me Swanson said:
You see, as soon as you warned
' me that night in the Red Dog tina
:, Susie's father was looking for me,
took Doc Bixby-he's the managing
- A1N,k s,N%~ II
10 room and we fixed up the scheme
The old gentleman's revolvers were
&c taken away from him before he wal
III ten feet inside the door, so that HI
could not kill anybody, for he's might.
l. handy with a gun and would hav'
$ cleaned the place out. While thing
Il were being arranged and while W.
le were waiting for him to come l wa
n in the back room drawing bullets GU
l of my shells and filling the place
II with paper wads.
1T worked out all right and l tool
e the old man away as meek as an
L. lamb you ever saw. l soon convince
"a him that l hadn't stolen his daughte
in and l didn't" he added. with
rs glance at his pretty wife, who blushe
l and gave closer attention to the baby
he she came to me-" Swanson went OF
ne land was at home that night in GU
at little house three hundred yards ava
ed from that stirring scene"
40 We'll, l guess you wrote and bes
'r, ged me to come" said Mrs. Swanson
d. defending herself. .You were afrai
as to come after me"
ly Swanson admitted the truth of he
statement proudly.
10 I'VE waited a week after Dadd
he Fuller went h3me," he resumed, IAN
or, then l pretended to find Susie. w
tn had been married month when
ee came to Gold Gulch, but to max
he things safe we announced that we ha
ng lust been married when we went
tO- IL La frnp a1a.