Longarm #275: Longarm and the Widow's Spite

This October 2001 episode of Longarm is an "oldie but a goodie". The jist of this yarn started 5 years ago in Denver when a gang of killers slaughtered eight innocent people during a bank holdup;but the crime had been unsolved until one of the gang shows up in Billy Vail's office,confesses to being part of the gang,then puts a gun to his head and pulls the trigger. Fortunatly he lingers on long enough to tell the lawmen the names of the rest of the gang. This sets off a real different tale where we see Vail join Longarm in the field,running down the culprits.We get a real insight into Vail's feelings of despair in his desk job and a longing to leave this type of lawman's work and go back to the life of a lawman on the hot pursuit of villians. Longarm has real concerns that hisboss is no longer able to cope in the field and is going to meet his demise. This becomes a real tough case in going from Denver to Central City,to Cheyenne in tracking down the owlhoots and bringing them to justice. Along the way,Longarm meets up with a fellow who has a burning desire to become a lawman like Longarm.He has all the qualities needed and Longarm gets him hired. Now we have Longarm in hot pursuit with his over the hill boss as well as a new ,though very adept Lawman ,as the manhunt continues. This is a great saga,loaded with action and a good understanding of the feelings and difficulties of being a lawman. While the new recruit has the makings of a good lawman,and proves himself,he finds a better life in the end and everyone rides off into the sunset.