A municipal feudErnest HaycoxOmniClassics · Literature
A municipal feud
Ernest HaycoxTwo wandering partners discover that neighboring towns have made hostility into a civic tradition.
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About the book
Joe Breedlove and Indigo Bowers share the trail despite sharply different temperaments: Joe is tolerant and easygoing, while Indigo seems almost constitutionally unable to let a quarrel pass. They separate briefly near Joe's old hometown, Big Elk, and Indigo finds himself in the rival settlement of Jingle Bell. A suspicious reception becomes a chance to prove useful when raiders arrive, drawing the outsider into a feud whose origins matter less to many residents than its continuation. Haycox combines brisk Western action with comedy about collective pride, habit, and the appeal of taking sides. The partners' contrasting instincts make the prospect of restoring peace nearly as troublesome as the fighting itself, while local leaders have their own reasons to encourage or resist reconciliation.
- Civic rivalry
- Friendship and temperament
- Conflict and habit
Why read it
The comic contrast between the partners sharpens the story's skepticism about communities determined to remain enemies.
English story from Short Stories, May 10, 1928