A scheme there was

A scheme there was by W. C. Tuttle is a Western short story written in the early 20th century. Set on the desert fringe between Mohave Wells and the boomtown of Lone Mule City, it follows a whittling, soft-spoken sheriff who stands up to corrupt saloon bosses. The likely topic is a clash between frontier justice and predatory power, as an honorable lawman shields two inexperienced newcomers from exploitation and a frame-up. Sheriff Buck Brady notices siblings Gladys and Harry Nestor arrive from the East and soon learns Lone Mule’s rulers, Dave Skinner and Charley Eley, have stripped them of honest work to force Gladys into Skinner’s dance hall. After Eley drunkenly menaces them, a struggle erupts; Eley is shot, and stage driver Larry Lebec spirits the terrified pair to Mohave Wells. Convinced Harry didn’t fire the shot, Buck protects him by locking him in his jail cell, stares down Skinner’s demand to surrender the “murderer,” and rebuffs a fake, conciliatory visit that’s really a grab for the girl—dropping Skinner with a gun-barrel and stashing him in the cell. As Skinner’s men retaliate by riddling Buck’s office with bullets, Buck connects the dots: the open door, Skinner’s quick appearance, and the gang’s haste suggest a frame. The tale closes with Buck’s calm resolve and the recognition that, whatever angle the villains try, he’ll keep the Nestors safe.

Summary written by Project Gutenberg, by machine.