Trail of the Restless Gun [Large Print]

by Lee Martin

Sam Darringer isn't about to settle down just yet, so he's happy to ride herd for Rad Pierson. But Mr. Pierson has two daughters, and Sam, against his better judgement, is captivated by the youngest... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 070895667X
• ISBN13: 9780708956670
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Ulverscroft
• Length: 272 Pages

Customer Reviews

Seeing the elephant

One of Martin's Darringer series, this book is about Sam Darringer. Determined to see the world, what there is of it in the west, Sam signs on to accompany a trail drive to Montana Territory as a first step to "see the elephant". He's hired for his gun, to protect a hothouse flower named Angela from abduction by (or from running away with) a handsome outlaw with whom she is infatuated. This beauty-and-beast plot is saved by several subplots, not the least of which is Sam's attraction to the little sister Lisa, a tomboy to say the least who tries to be her father's son. A strong secondary character is Nika, an elderly Comanche who was saved from death by Lisa and who now is devoted to her and is her protector, sometimes saving her from herself. The handsome outlaw does abduct Angela, who quickly learns that everything her father told her about the guy was true. Sam, Lisa, Nika, and the happy-go-lucky cowboy Joker ride to the rescue. Angela is spirited away from the outlaw camp, sadder but wiser, and later will look at Joker with new eyes. The outlaw is arrested, tried, and convicted but grabs a gun in the courtroom, snatches Lisa as his hostage, and leaves. Lisa pretends to faint and her dead weight causes the outlaw to drop her enough that Sam can put him out of everyone's misery and save the day. Then he rides off into the sunset but some months later returns to claim Lisa as his bride. I have to say I liked this one better than some of the other Darringer books. I'm just not yet used to the New Age sensitive cowboy who cries as easily as he draws his gun, or the irasicible old codger ranch owner who also cries easily. I guess it is a Nineties kind of thing. It did make me determined to interview some old codgers whose pappies lived that kind of life to see if they saw much crying among the men. I don't think they did, and I doubt if they saw much among the women, either. It's still a good western.