The Wild Ones — A Western Duo
The first story is titled Stillman’s War and is written under the author’s own name, Peter Brandvold, while Blood Trail of the Horsetooth Widow is written under the author’s pen name, Frank Leslie.
Stillman’s War tells the tale of Sheriff Ben Stillman of Hill County in Montana Territory several years after the Civil War. After tracking cattle rustlers to an old abandoned cabin, Stillman and his deputy, Leon McMannigle, get in a shootout. All the rustlers except one (Tommy Dilloughboy) are killed, along with a young girl shot in self-defense by McMannigle. A former buffalo soldier, McMannigle takes the girl’s body to her parents’ ranch against the advice of Stillman. Gunmen from the ranch, who want to kill him for shooting a white woman, then attack McMannigle on the trail.
The storyline of Blood Trail of the Horsetooth Widow occurs after the Civil War. Yakima Henry, a former Army scout and tracker who is half-Native American, arrives in Horsetooth, Arizona, on the run from the law. While enjoying a drink in a local bar, Yakima kills the bartender and husband of Palmon Collado in a gunfight. Palmon soon befriends Yakima, although he is suspicious of her motives. The morning after they spend the night together, he follows her to a local mission where he discovers her boyfriend, a local bandito, is wounded. He overhears their discussion about hidden federal money. Soon Yakima becomes involved in retrieving the stolen money.
Two westerns for the price of one! These books have action from beginning to end. The off-color language and adult situations may reduce the readership, but the excitement builds tension between the characters, with both books resulting in an exciting ending. Highly recommended for adults who enjoy bigger-than-life characters of the old West.
