
In the dusty foothills of a newly mined county, the stalwart deputy Ike Harper rides alongside his irascible sheriff, Magpie Simpkins. Their partnership, forged in the pursuit of rustlers and the glitter of gold, is marked by quick‑draw jokes and a rivalry that’s as sharp as their revolvers. The narrative captures the rough‑and‑ready rhythm of frontier life, where every sunrise brings a new scrape and every sunset promises a hard‑earned meal.
When a lone cabin’s door swings open, the pair discover Lily Lester, a wiry, bright‑eyed woman surrounded by the comforting smells of coffee, fried onions, and fresh biscuits. Her humble abode, a relic of a vanished past, sparks both curiosity and a tentative affection that rattles the duo’s usual banter. As Ike and Magpie grapple with their own notions of duty and desire, the story teases a gentle tug‑of‑war between law, loyalty, and the unexpected pull of love on the open range.
Language
en
Duration
~37 minutes (35K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: The Ridgway Company, 1918.
Credits
Roger Frank and Sue Clark
Release date
2021-11-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1883–1969
Best known for lively Western stories filled with humor, mystery, and ranch-country adventure, this Montana-born writer created the popular cowboy sleuths Hashknife Hartley and Sleepy Stevens. He also worked in Hollywood, writing for films from the silent era into the 1940s.
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