The double-crossing of Dobie

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

79201

Title

The double-crossing of Dobie

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this humorous Western tale, hapless manager Dobie Dalton is falsely accused of stealing a stagecoach by his volatile wife's relatives. As he navigates a series of misunderstandings involving a notorious outlaw, a mischievous burro, and a skeptical sheriff, Dobie must clear his name and restore his reputation while enduring physical pain and financial ruin. W.C. Tuttle delivers a witty, fast-paced narrative filled with colloquial dialogue and slapstick comedy that celebrates the resilience of an honest man caught in a...

Summary up to 500 words

In W. C. Tuttle's comedic Western tale, "The Double-Crossing of Dobie," the protagonist Dobie Dalton, an honest but perpetually unlucky puncher and stagecoach manager in Pyrites, finds himself entangled in a web of misunderstanding and family drama. The story opens with Dobie's wife, Emmeline, and her excitable, villainous uncle, Gabe Galesburg, falsely accusing Dobie of stealing a stagecoach loaded with four thousand dollars. The public and the sheriff believe the vehicle was hijacked by the notorious outlaw "Devil Creek" Davis, a description that conveniently matches the real fugitive, Dynamite Carson. Compounding Dobie's misery is a recent gunshot wound to his leg and severe financial strain. Despite his physical pain and the town's suspicion, Dobie sets out to retrieve the missing coach. His journey is a disaster: he is chased by a posse, attacked by a pack of coyotes, and eventually forced to abandon the stage in a rushing river to escape capture. Upon returning to town battered and bruised, he is met not with gratitude, but with a beating from his own uncle, Gabe, who remains convinced of Dobie's guilt. The narrative takes a humorous turn when Dobie, hiding in a stable to recover, accidentally tackles the disguised Dynamite Carson, who had been stalking him. Dobie drags the unconscious man to jail, only to discover that the real Dynamite Carson is already imprisoned. The climax reveals the entire ordeal was a calculated setup by Emmeline and her uncle. They orchestrated the false accusation to teach Dobie a lesson about his recklessness and to force him to confront his own misfortunes. Although vindicated of the theft charge and cleared of the money loss, Dobie remains deeply resentful toward his in-laws, feeling double-crossed by his own family. The story concludes with Dobie accepting a job as a barn-boss, having lost his stagecoach business but retaining his integrity, while still harboring a grudge against the Galesburgs. The tale is characterized by its vernacular dialogue, slapstick physical humor, and the enduring theme of good intentions being thwarted by bad luck and malicious relatives.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Fiction
• Western
• Epistolary Fiction