The hand of Providence

About this book

The hand of Providence by W. C. Tuttle is a humorous Western short story written in the early 20th century. Set in a rough-and-ready cow town, it comically explores what happens when a “horseless wagon” collides with frontier life, stirring panic among broncs and people alike.

The tale opens as Scenery Sims rattles into Piperock in his new automobile, terrifying teams, scattering wagons, and outraging citizens. Later, after horse thieves leave Sheriff Magpie Simpkins and his deputy narrator afoot, they flag down Scenery for a ride home, only to lose the brake and career through town in a whirlwind of near-misses, flying ropes, a shattered fence, and a makeshift roadblock. The chaos peaks when the runaway machine finally halts over Sam Holt’s hidden cache of dynamite and is blown to pieces—Providence, the town decides, has spoken. Chastened but alive, Scenery shakes hands with Sam and sensibly vows to return to horseflesh, while the town counts itself lucky and settles back into its old ways.