Blind trails

Zusammenfassung

"Blind trails" by W. C. Tuttle is a Western novel written in the early 20th century. Set in the isolated cattle stronghold of Chinook Valley, it follows level‑headed foreman “Peace River” Parker as his quiet courtship of Jess Marshall collides with the swaggering ambitions of newcomer rancher Frank Campion and the hard men he rides with. Rivalry, range politics, and a brazen bank robbery tighten into a tale of pride, loyalty, and pursuit on the high plains. The opening of this novel introduces Peace Parker’s plain looks, steady character, and wary love for Jess, while her blustery father, Cross L Marshall, fumes over Campion’s slick attentions. Tuttle sketches the valley’s geography and ranch culture, then shifts to a raucous payday in Tarp City, where a drunken taunt by Campion’s man Mehl ends with Peace ejecting him and, after Campion presses a fight, Peace punching Campion and shooting the gun from his hand. Returning by a secret pass, Peace suspects he was shadowed; back at the ranch, a comic prank sends Campion’s rider Erne off bucking, and a note to Jess hints at Campion’s designs. Soon Gus Sinks, an ex-outlaw Peace once saved and now his sheep-herder, comes for grub money; the next day Pasiooks Bank is robbed, and the injured cashier identifies the thief as the man who was with Peace—Sinks. While cowboys comb the valley and the Pass is guarded, Peace decides to leave; at the checkpoint, Campion pointedly declares he means to marry Jess. The start closes with Peace riding into the Sun Prairie to find his herd already sold under a bill of sale signed by Sinks, leaving Peace grimly measuring loyalty against the hard facts. (This is an automatically generated summary.)