Guns of Justice

Originally published 23rd October 1980.

Des Willard was on the run for the alleged murder of his brother, Jeff, when the six–strong posse caught up with him. The posse didn’t get their man and returned one man short. According to the other five, Willard had shot Sheriff Suter dead in cold-blood. A lesser man than Des Willard would have kept running but he knew he was innocent. Only the horse–rancher, Jack Mallory believed in him, but when Banker, Ezra Scott, was murdered even Mallory doubted Willard’s innocence.

Meanwhile, Seth Dormer, the horse–trader, was heading to Butane to buy stock. Despite the evidence stacking up, Sal, Seth’s beautiful daughter, did not see Willard as a killer. When violence duly erupted, fomented by Hubert Dainton, Willard’s uncle, Somers the Lazy Q rancher, Kershawe the owner of the Stage–line and Smeaton the Indian trader, Seth backed Sal’s instincts and took a hand.

Just when there is a glimmer of hope that Des can prove his innocence to the town, gristly evidence is faked to settle his hash once and for all and even with the Dormers’ help things look bleak. Salvation for Willard teeters on a knife-edge.