Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-04-22

them. He advised them, however, Il
wait until they reached Taos to bu.
their outfit for the trip into the Arr
IONA country, telling them they coulC
obtain it much cheaper than in Den.
yer and that they would be able to gel
equipment more nearly in line WITT
| their needs. This they agreed to do.
This stroke of business completed
Drannan decided to walk about the
town, which he had not visited for sew
eral years and the growth of which III
| the meantime interested him very
much. Before leaving F'avor's he I'M
| buckled his cartridge belt and left II
and his six-shooters at the store, think
ing that he would have no use Tor them
here in the heart of civilization.
He was walking down the street near
the Planters house, when he met po-
| liceman, who proved to be Deecy, max
ing his way on the run towards Clle
hotel. Drannan was stranger 70 the
officer, but he was a formidable look
ing man, dressed as he was IN DUCK
skin clothing, wearing long hair, ana
big fellow, too. So Deecy .deputizeo
Drannan to help him go to the Plant-
ers house and arrest a bunch OF stage
drivers, who he said, were creating a
row in the barroOm there.
Drannan's first thought was TO feel
for his guns. AS he clapped his hands
to his belt he recalled that he had LETT
them at Favor's store. He went along
to help the officer, however, regard
less. When the two entered the PlanteL
house bar, they found general row IN
progress. AS the newcomers entered the
room several of the rough-housers MADE
for them and a couple Of them singled
out Drannan for their operations he
backed away and defended himself as
best he could until his aSsailants backed
him against door, the upper hau OF
which was of glass, and which led into
the hotel office.
The door opened In, and he was
backed against it, so could go no fur
Their. AS he lodged to avoid q blow ne
knocked the glass out OF the whole
upper portion of the door. The melee
and the crashing glass attracted the
attention of those in the hotel ot1ice.
A man just outside the door reached
through the hole where the glass mao
been, grabbed Drannan by the Shoul-
ders and with. heave yankeo MN IN
clear through it and beyond the reacn
of the men who were aSsailing nm.
His rescuer was Buffalo Bill Cody.
Cody handed Drannan one Of his SIX
shooters and said: Come on, pard, ana
wen take these fellows or know the
reason why"
Guns in hand they pushed through
the door. The stage drivers who, had
been attacking Drannan fell back.
Three or four others had Deecy and the
bartender cornered behind the bar.
Tough though they were, the drunken
stage drivers all wilted at the sight OF
Buffalo Bill and Drannan with their
guns on them, and all surrendered
without an attempt to draw their
weapons. Buffalo Bill and Drannan
helped Deecy escort the drivers to the
Denver cooler.
Drannan and Deecy ran across each
other again nearly 40 years later when
Deecy was living in Boulder, and had
a good laugh over their previous meet
ing. Drannan spent one winter in VIZ
GINA CITY after the discovery Of gold
in Alder gulch, employed by the firm
of Boon 81 Bivian who ran a general
store, and while there witnessed the
hanging of Slade, the employer OF the
stage drivers he had fought In Den
yer, by the Vigilantes.
From Denver, following Drannan's
and Cody's participation in the law
activities Of the city, they,
with Carson and Colonel Bent OF BenIS
fort on the Arkansas river, went ouI-
falo hunting in the Purgatoire, or, as
II was called, the picket Wire" coun-
try, after which Carson and Drannan
returned to Taos There Drannan met
the party of prospectors who ne had
agreed to guide into the Arizona coun-
try and outfitted for the trip TO the
ella river