False faceErnest HaycoxOmniClassics · Literature
False face
Ernest HaycoxA reluctant deputy studies a romantic quarrel and a man whose expression gives nothing away.
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About the book
Storekeeper Dave Budd has little desire to wear a deputy's badge, preferring the informal authority and local understanding he already possesses. Sheriff McKenzie insists, and Budd soon has reason to pay attention to the people passing through his place. A young man named Bill, wounded in love and inclined to speak plainly, contrasts sharply with the self-contained Sam, who has attracted the same woman's attention. Budd observes the rivalry while wondering what Sam's carefully unreadable manner conceals. Ernest Haycox builds the Western story from conversation, small gestures, and an older man's patient assessment of character. Official responsibility arrives almost against Budd's will, but the skills it requires may already be part of his everyday life.
- Informal justice
- Character and concealment
- Romantic rivalry
Why read it
Enjoy a Western centered on shrewd observation and a reluctant peace officer rather than immediate gunplay.
English Western story by Ernest Haycox