Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-12-02
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Editor
BY RICHARD SAUNDERS GRAVES
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lCopyr1Ght. by Short Storlas O.. I'D


shot. The man who was going to do
the shooting was on the train. His
hair hung down on his shoulders and
he wore boots and spurs and two big
reyolyers. There was q grim deterna-
inasan sR his face.
Ns1s Asaseis - bsets cesaSsd 70
the auan in the seat with him that tbe
na1as OF ths man ~ wss aolsg I'D to
osl| GslAh to nu was swasson and
tsat his sHn naEas vas Fslisr.
Hiram Fuller. kaA MtEsxry." he
said 81 way OF tRkroAnctiaz de-
clded, as I sat In the seat behind him
and was forced to hear his converse
uon' that In the matter of names the
editor had the best Of it, but Of course
knew nothing OF his ability TO shoot.
l also learned from his condolences.
as did nearly everybody else in the
coach that it had been many years
since be left his native state, and
judged that he had readily become
acchmated in the West.
During the long afternoon ride l en-
gagged in conversation with Fuller. the
Infatuated. as l had mentally named
him, learned that he was a ranch
man at Sand Creek and that Swanson
had been employed by him. Swanson
mad made love to his daughter, and
that was the cause Of all the trouble.
Fuller had driven him away at the
point OF a revolver six months before.
and now his daughter S4lsie had dis.
appeared. She lad been zone a
month, ostensibly on q visit TO some
lrt0RAR ~
father had just learned that she had
not been there. His anger was awful.
Swanson's stole her. that's what
he's DONE" Fuller alnoet shouted. His
wrath Increased as he talked, for he
believed thAt SwaHson could not make
living for the sxl The ranchmAn
admitted that he hpSw Aexe to moth
ing Of the young man, except that he
had come out West to teach school.
and upon failing 10 find a school had
t&ken mp the occupation of a cowboy
for more than a year. Ne also knew
that Swanson had cone from the
lumber region Of Wisconsin, but had
said very little about his home or
kindred
In the course ef time It came out
that a neighboring ranchuMn had
been weefng the girl before the ar
rival Of Swanson, and Il was easy to
guess that the rather had greatly
favored the alliance; but his viii was
set aside after his daughter had seen
the young man from the north, and
now he proposed to shoot Swanson.
who had drifted to the mining town
after leaving the ranch, for entioing
the girl from home. He had just
learned Of Swanson's whereabouts
from a letter written by him which
Susie Fuller had left behind.
The train finally crept into Gold
Gulch and the passengers alixhted.
Gold Gulch was busy with its own at.
I fairs and the arrival of the train once
a day did not disturb II in the least.
! The train sometimes brought q hun
| dred or more gold seekers, but the
Guich had no interest IN them until
th$e had been tls1es le0g eamuHh 20
become a Part OF 4
] alightAA from the train aAsad Of
the others and made my way M the
path toward the itsAts, fully detsrn-
, iped to warn Swanson OF his tmpend-
ing doom When I reached tie Cour-
Ter office I found the front deor open,
but just rs / entered. and while the
! light was shining full upon me, Q bull
/ let whistlsd past, cutting the lapel
and one sleeve of my coat / knew
| then that Fuller had OWNED nay pur-
! pose and made the only effort he could
to intercept me.
"Where's Swanaon9" / asked as
soon as ! was inside the door.
/ Down at the Red Dog" said the
printer nearest me. and passed on
through without a pause.
The Office of the Courier was built
OF logs and rough boards, with doors
OF heavy humber. Back of the Courier
office the ground sloped up toward the
T. frowning peak of the mountain, with
not bush or tree In sight As I
reached khe back deor could hear
Fuller in the front ONCE and knew
he would shoot again at sight of me.
/ had witnessed some Of his outbursts
OF wrath and violent temper on the
way to Gold Gulch. My one desire at
that moment was to avoid him, being
armed only with a small revolver
which carried in my hip pocket and
which 1 had reason to know would
brand me as a tenderfoot and make
me the laughing stock of any com.
munity IN the west should / attempt
TO use It. The thought Of being found
dead there on the mountainsfde with
that small weapon in my pocket
caused me to reaoubie my Efforts to
| get away from the pursuing ranch
man.
had net entirely given up the idea
OF warning Swanson. II was still in
my mind, but at that moment was
more concerned for my own safety. !
started blindly to climb the side of the
mountain. and twenty feet up the
slope l grasped a small bowider that
lay but slightly balanced. It rolled
down toward the Courier once and
closed with a thud the back door
which opened outward and was stand.
ing slightly aiar. The building was