Forgotten Destiny

These three novellas, originally published in various pulp magazines in 1939-41, have all Dawson's trademark strengths, and two of them continue a trend clearly marked in Ghost Brand of the Wishbones, in which, as here, two of the three pieces turn on the discovery of conspiracies--something Dawson apparently liked to use as an element of his plots. In "Brand of Luck," Hugh Conner, on the run from a murder charge, comes across a small, unwanted spread and takes it for his own, only to be forced out by big cowman Wyatt Keyes and his tame sheriff. Fearing that they'll discover his past if he stays to fight them, he engineers the latter's defeat in the election out of spite--and finds himself deputized by the winner. This leads him to weld together Keyes's other victims, particularly George Baird, whose Chain Link is even bigger than Keyes's spread, and learn the truth about Keyes's efforts. "Death Brings in the Ophir" takes us to the high mining country, where Nick Treacher has tied up every cent he owns on a three-month option on the unworked Ophir mine, certain that the previous owners stopped short of a big pocket "like the one that started this rush." But Sam Poole, for reasons unclear, has "corralled enough of the old stockholders to give him a legal right to act as their representative," and he has a corrupt lawman on his side--and possibly, too, a judge, though Nick thinks the latter is basically honest. What Nick has to do is find a way to stall off Poole, and perhaps free Judge Morgan from whatever hold Poole has on him, until he can learn whether the silver is there or not. The title piece, the longest of the three (probably set in the early 20th century), finds Bill Duncan on his way to succor his late father's old partner, Tom Bostwick, who needs a short-term loan of $5000 to stave off foreclosure on his ranch. If he doesn't get it, the bank will take the place over and sell the mortgage to a sheep outfit--and then every other rancher within 20 miles of him will pull up stakes and abandon their land, leaving the bank in possession of all the hill graze. When Duncan is ambushed and his wound leaves him with amnesia, the local sheriff, who is the banker's brother, decides to make use of him. It takes Bill a while, but he figures out all the angles of the scheme and brings justice to the mesa in the end. All three stories are well crafted, tightly plotted, and full of the real feel of the Western landscape; their heroes stand alone, or nearly so, against the odds, and there's always a strong, resourceful woman around to help them. I'm prejudiced, being a Dawson fan from way back, but I think this collection is among the best of his shorter work.