A Scheme There Was

In the rough boomtowns of the Mohave, a slow-talking, whittling sheriff named Buck Brady becomes the one man willing to stand between innocence and corruption. When he spots Eastern siblings Harry and Gladys Nestor on their way to Lone Mule, he sees trouble at once: the town is ruled by the ruthless Dave Skinner and Charley Eley, who use bribery, intimidation, and crooked lawmen to trap newcomers and exploit the girl's desperation. Buck's quiet concern turns to action as the Nestors are squeezed out of work and driven toward ruin. He offers them money and refuge in Mohave Wells, where Gladys can stay with his wife and Harry can find honest employment. But the danger follows them. The siblings arrive battered and terrified after a violent escape from Lone Mule, with Eley dead and Skinner accusing Harry of murder. Buck shields the boy by locking him in jail for safety, not punishment, and protects Gladys in his home. When Skinner demands the prisoner, Buck refuses outright, setting himself against a corrupt power structure with nothing but his code, his nerve, and his sense of justice. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.