The Tell-Tale Hand

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Tim Cantle, an evil-looking fellow, is drinking at a bar. The saloonkeeper's daughter enters, and Tim, slightly tipsy, tries to kiss her. She struggles to escape him. Broncho Billy enters and draws his gun. Tim flees. Tim gets his horse and rides away. As he approaches a house on a hill nearby, he sees Annie Fargo run out of her home, her father cursing her. Tim seizes and kisses her. She strikes him in the face and screams. Her father then comes out and drives Tim away. He sends Annie back into the house, following her with his gun. Tim swears vengeance. He sneaks about the house and finally Annie rushes out again and flees in terror to the woods. Tim sneaks into the house and stabs Fargo. Then he takes a piece of the skirt that Fargo has torn from his daughter's dress in his struggle to horsewhip her. He rushes to the sheriff and tells him that Annie has killed her father and a posse starts in pursuit. In the meantime Broncho Billy has left the barroom and rides towards home. He meets Annie and she tries to evade him. He finally corners her and asks her what is the trouble. She sees that he is not going to harm her and asks him to protect her. He takes her on his horse and, seeing a posse coming, takes a by-path and eludes it. They camp for the night and Broncho stays awake while Annie sleeps. Broncho is overcome by weariness, however, and falls asleep. The posse discovers them and arrests Annie. She is taken to jail, put on trial and convicted. Broncho is much troubled over Tim's eagerness to have the girl convicted and follows him. He sees him go to the Fargo home. He grows more suspicious. Broncho examines Fargo's shirt and sees the imprint of a hand. He takes a piece of paper and pours chemical on it. Then he meets Tim in a barroom and manages to force his hand down upon it. Tim runs for his horse and flees. Broncho pursues. They have a terrible running battle on horseback. Neither have guns and they fight hand to hand. Tim is finally overpowered, bound and brought back to the sheriff's office. There it is found that the hand print on the paper corresponds with that on the shirt. Tim breaks down and confesses. Broncho then releases Annie.