False face

Description

About this book

"False face by Ernest Haycox" is a Western short story written in the early 20th century. Set amid a rumor-fueled land rush in central Oregon, it centers on a storekeeper-turned-deputy who must quell campsite thefts, clear a wrongly accused cowboy, and expose the true thief. Sheriff Bart McKenzie drafts Dave Budd as deputy when a camp of hopeful homesteaders crowds his store and a brazen wallet theft stirs talk of lynching. A taciturn rider, Sam, pushes a search that “finds” the stolen wallet in the gear of fiery redheaded Bill, who had been courting a young woman also admired by Sam. Sensing a plant, Budd ties Bill lightly and lets him slip away, then baits a trap by leaving cash in a cigar box and waiting in the dark. Sam sneaks in to steal, shoots, and is shot dead by Budd, exposing him as the true culprit.