"Hashknife"—philanthropist

"Hashknife"—philanthropist by W. C. Tuttle is a Western short story from the early 20th century. It follows drifter-cowboys Hashknife Hartley and Sleepy Stevens as they ride into a crooked cattle country, tangle with a rustling ring, and set things right with quick wits, faster guns, and a sly plan involving cattle brands. Told by Sleepy, the tale opens with an ambush and a ruckus in Badger City, where Sheriff Ells, Prosecutor Spooner, and JHE foreman Ben Lober show their colors. After Hashknife publicly upends Lober for manhandling Molly Crosby, the law tries to buy the pair off, then ambushes them; Sleepy is jailed, but Hashknife turns the tables and locks the lawmen up instead. Sheltered by rancher Crosby and his daughter Molly, Hashknife studies the brands, realizes JHE is built on cleverly altered Cross L and Lazy U marks, and traps JHE’s front man, Brill (Jack McKee), into a written confession that Shorty Blewett was framed. A roadside showdown shocks (but doesn’t kill) Ells and Spooner into signing over the JHE to Crosby and his friend Older, and a judge moves to free Shorty. The partners gift money to Molly and even stake the town’s church, and the final twist lands gently: a note reveals Shorty is Toothpick Thompson—the man Hashknife swore to make eat a bullet—so Hashknife sends that bullet to Molly as a token of forgiveness and rides on.

Summary written by Project Gutenberg, by machine.