Author Description

When Josh West appealed to the Texas Rangers for help concerning the problems in west central Texas, he was turned down flat. It seemed political pressure was being put on the Rangers to stay out of the situation. Josh traveled back to Tennessee and hired a group of unemployed workers, slaves who had been emancipated by the war, and now had no jobs. Josh was hoping this army of black men would help him overcome the reign of terror which was sweeping over west central Texas. Arriving in Odessa, Texas the black men were arrested because of the Black Codes which had been enacted after reconstruction to keep blacks from owning weapons. Frustrated, Josh sent new telegrams to both the Rangers and his unidentified benefactor hoping that pressure could be put on Governor Jim Hoss and this reign of terror cease. Meantime, Mr., Crompton, the mysterious benefactor, who may or may not be financing both the terror and the effort to cease it, sat in his luxury car somewhere in Texas with the buxom temptress, Sonja Barker, who seemed to have the rich man wrapped around her little finger. Sheriff Luke Ramsey of Odessa showed up at the Warden Ranch and warned Josh, the Wardens, Uzziah and Sarah Bannon, the woman whose family was wiped off the face of the earth by the terrorizing cowboys, not to call the Rangers in or the situation would be out of his hands. After spending a good day together in the middle of this, the Wardens, Josh, Uzziah, Sarah Bannon and the simpleton were visited by Zeke, and his gang which has been terrorizing all the ranchers. He warned them that if they don’t leave their ranch and just go away something very similar to this would happen, as he threw a gunny sack with the head of another rancher inside it. A gunfight broke out, and Josh escaped going for the Seth, Albert and Bear who were in Amarillo on their way there. Will Josh make it to his Rangers friends? Will four good men be enough to stem the tide of terror? Will Alexander Crom