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LAW OF THE GUN
Edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Russell Davis
PINNACLE BOOKS
Kensington Publishing Corp.
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Contents
Introduction by Russell Davis
The Trouble with Dudes
Johnny D. Boggs
Uncle Jeff and the Gunfighter
Elmer Kelton
The Devil Doesn’t Sleep
Deborah Morgan
Destiny’s Gun
Jory Sherman
As Good as the Bad
Ken Hodgson
Inferno
William W. Johnstone, with J. A. Johnstone
Waiting for Mr. Griffith
Tom Carpenter
The First Ride of Monday Happenstance
Russell Davis
Ricochet
Don Coldsmith
Bounty Hunter
John Duncklee
The Wanted Man
Rita Cleary
Dead Man Riding to Tombstone
Andrew J. Fenady
Hap
John D. Nesbitt
Gunfighter’s Lament
Ellen Recknor
Shootout at White Pass
John Jakes
The Long High Noon
Loren D. Estleman
The Two-bit Kill
C. Courtney Joyner
About the Editors
About the Authors
Introduction
Russell Davis
As a reader, author, and editor, there is little that fascinates me more than those archetypes of a particular genre that have grown in stature, somehow surpassing the trite and clichéd and reaching up and out to become mythical. The landscape of the American West, from novels and short stories to films and music, is filled to the brim with the mythic.
How is it possible that this landscape is both so known and yet unknown? How is it possible that it keeps changing and growing, continuing to offer surprises of place and character and story? Perhaps it is because we ourselves are responsible for the continued reinvention of our view of the frontier, of the places and people, the rivers and mountains. Perhaps because what is now myth was once common, and one day, we will in our own turn, take our place in some strange fashion as part of the mythic American West.
In the first anthology I edited for Kensington/Pinnacle, Lost Trails, I encouraged the authors to take advantage of the many unknowns in history about famous or infamous people—to tell a story of a lost moment in their lives. They responded with stories about Mark Twain and Buffalo Bill, John Wesley Hardin and Billy the Kid, and so many others. They are stories of real people who have risen to mythic stature by way of their deeds, both good and bad.
The anthology that followed, Ghost Towns, went in another direction—and often in unexpected ways. I asked the authors to explore the notion of ghost towns, real or imagined, and to feel free to utilize elements of the supernatural, should they so desire. It should come as no surprise that they did, in fact, feel free, and the anthology showed places that were both haunting and haunted, taking the reader to places that once were, and might never be again. These were the stories of mythic places in the West. That there are elements of the unknown or the supernatural should come as no surprise. Mythic places are often haunted by the spirits of those who lived and died there.
In this volume, I asked the authors to explore the most famous mythic archetype of the West: the gunfighter. Now, I must admit that part of this request was purely selfish. From my earliest memories of books and movies, I’ve liked gunfighter stories. If one enjoys western tales, it is almost impossible to not be steeped in the lore of this mythic figure. From the earliest days of the dime novels and the first movies all the way to the present day, the gunfighter has a mythic stature much larger than virtually any other western archetype.
As in the first two anthologies, I found myself surprised by the direction taken by the authors. Most of these stories are not the gunfighters imagined in popular films or dime novels, but rather very human characters, often trapped by circumstances into using the best tools they have to survive, make a living, or protect those they care about. In many ways, there is an air of dignity to these characters, and a sense of inevitability, as though they know their time is slowly winding down. Rather than go into detail about the stories, I’ll let you discover them much as I did, and hope that you find these mythic figures to be as engaging and interesting as you might have when you first read the term gunfighter.
One final note, then I’ll exit stage left, and allow you to continue on your journey. If Tombstone, Arizona, is “The Town Too Tough to Die,” it is entirely possible that the literature of the American West is much the same. It will continue on, albeit in changing forms, for as long as there are those who remember these mythic people, places, and archetypal characters. There will be books and stories, the occasional film or miniseries, and—it needs to be said—the oral traditions that continue in so many families today. Yet I dream of something more than this. I dream of the day when the American West once again captures the imagination of many, and there is a renaissance, bringing all of this to life for another generation.
The question of how this dream may be fulfilled is a difficult one, and the answer is ultimately up to those of us who write or edit in this genre, who make movies or television shows, and it is also up to you—our readers. On one side, we must continue to reach out, with new ideas and new stories, and let me assure you that the mine of the form is hardly even tapped yet. There is a great deal more to be told. On the other side, we must ask you to reach out, spreading the word that the literature of the American West is like a river. It is not gone, but changing and fluid, while still holding true to its essential course.
Working together, sharing these stories with your friends, family, and children, we can ensure that western stories in all their forms continue to live and breathe and bring excitement to future generations who need to know the West is not just a few museums, but alive and well today. There are still famous and infamous people, ghost towns and thriving communities, horses and cowboys and gunslingers still riding the ranges and living the mythic dream that inspires us all.
Thank you for your support of our shared genre, and remember to always keep one chamber unloaded for safety.
Stagecoach, Nevada, Spring 2010
Note: The editor is not responsible for the sequence of the stories in this volume. The order was set by the publisher.
The Trouble with Dudes
Johnny D. Boggs
The silver had tarnished, the etchings faded, the chain and fob long gone, and he couldn’t read the sentiment engraved on the inside of the case, which he had to