The Two-Gun Man

The Two-Gun Man, by Charles
Alden Seltzer

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Title: The Two-Gun Man
Author: Charles Alden Seltzer
Release Date: August 9, 2006 [EBook #19012]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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Produced by Al Haines

THE TWO-GUN MAN
BY CHARLES ALDEN SELTZER

Author of "The Range Riders," "The Coming of the Law," etc.

A. L. BURT COMPANY
PUBLISHERS -------- NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY
OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY
ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL, LONDON, ENGLAND
All rights reserved

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I.
THE STRANGER AT DRY BOTTOM II. THE STRANGER
SHOOTS III. THE CABIN IN THE FLAT IV. A "DIFFERENT GIRL"
V. THE MAN OF DRY BOTTOM VI. AT THE TWO DIAMOND VII.
THE MEASURE OF A MAN VIII. THE FINDING OF THE
ORPHAN IX. WOULD YOU BE A "CHARACTER"? X.
DISAPPEARANCE OF THE ORPHAN XI. A TOUCH OF LOCAL
COLOR XII. THE STORY BEGINS XIII. "DO YOU SMOKE?" XIV.
ON THE EDGE OF THE PLATEAU XV. A FREE HAND XVI.
LEVIATT TAKES A STEP XVII. A BREAK IN THE STORY XVIII.
THE DIM TRAIL XIX. THE SHOT IN THE DARK XX. LOVE AND
A RIFLE XXI. THE PROMISE XXII. KEEPING A PROMISE XXIII.

AT THE EDGE OF THE COTTONWOOD XXIV. THE END OF THE
STORY

THE TWO-GUN MAN

CHAPTER I
THE STRANGER AT DRY BOTTOM
From the crest of Three Mile Slope the man on the pony could see the
town of Dry Bottom straggling across the gray floor of the flat, its low,
squat buildings looking like so many old boxes blown there by an idle
wind, or unceremoniously dumped there by a careless fate and left,
regardless, to carry out the scheme of desolation.
Apparently the rider was in no hurry, for, as the pony topped the rise
and the town burst suddenly into view, the little animal pricked up its
ears and quickened its pace, only to feel the reins suddenly tighten and
to hear the rider's voice gruffly discouraging haste. Therefore, the pony
pranced gingerly, alert, champing the bit impatiently, picking its way
over the lumpy hills of stone and cactus, but holding closely to the trail.
The man lounged in the saddle, his strong, well-knit body swaying
gracefully, his eyes, shaded by the brim of his hat, narrowed with slight
mockery and interest as he gazed steadily at the town that lay before
him.
"I reckon that must be Dry Bottom," he said finally, mentally taking in
its dimensions. "If that's so, I've only got twenty miles to go."
Half way down the slope, and still a mile and a half from the town, the
rider drew the pony to a halt. He dropped the reins over the high
pommel of the saddle, drew out his two guns, one after the other, rolled
the cylinders, and returned the guns to their holsters. He had heard
something of Dry Bottom's reputation and in examining his pistols he

was merely preparing himself for an emergency. For a moment after he
had replaced the weapons he sat quietly in the saddle. Then he shook
out the reins, spoke to the pony, and the little animal set forward at a
slow lope.
An ironic traveler, passing through Dry Bottom in its younger days,
before civic spirit had definitely centered its efforts upon things
nomenclatural, had hinted that the town should be known as "dry"
because of the fact that while it boasted seven buildings, four were
saloons; and that "bottom" might well be used as a suffix, because, in
the nature of things, a town of seven buildings, four of which were
saloons, might reasonably expect to descend to the very depths of
moral iniquity.
The ironic traveler had spoken with prophetic wisdom. Dry Bottom
was trying as best it knew how to wallow in the depths of sin. Unlovely,
soiled, desolate of verdure, dumped down upon a flat of sand in a
treeless waste, amid cactus, crabbed yucca, scorpions, horned toads,
and rattlesnakes. Dry Bottom had forgotten its morals, subverted its
principles, and neglected its God.
As the rider approached to within a few hundred yards of the edge of
town he became aware of a sudden commotion. He reined in his pony,
allowing it to advance at a walk, while with alert eyes he endeavored to
search out the cause of the excitement. He did not have long to watch
for the explanation.
A man had stepped out of