The George Kelley Collection
Western Stories


The Brazos Firebrand
Leslie Scott
Ace, 1953.
Bison Catalog Record

Neale Loring is riding the vengeance trail, hoping to even the score with the notorious Clate Dixon. Recognized far and wide as a cool-thinking cowboy, Dixon has nerves of steel and has easily outmaneuvered the Texas Rangers and other peace officers. It was Dixon who murdered Neale's father and two brothers in cold blood, and then quickly disappeared with twenty thousand dollars in cash from the sale of Loring's ranch. Seeking justice, young Neale heads West, but is temporarily sidetracked in his quest for revenge when ranch owner Abe Utley hires him to oversee a cattle drive along the Rio Grande. On the first day out, Neale's experience as an ace gunslinger comes into play during a shootout with a band of cattle thieves, and throughout the long trek across the open range, Neale defends the herd from smugglers, outlaws, and roving bands of Apache raiders. The canyons and dry gulches of the desert Southwest set the scene for Neale's final showdown with Clate Dixon and his gang.