Cook began writing westerns in 1951 and eventually published 60 short stories and 50 novels before his premature death at the age of 42. His favorite device was the use of recurring characters to link otherwise stand-alone stories. These five novellas provide an example of his technique. The stories are set in the small Texas ranching community of Hondo and span a period of 20 years. In 1877 rancher Wes Cardigan decides to fence in part of his range and allows homesteaders to occupy the remainder. He meets with fierce resistance from a neighbor, and the resulting deaths cause both men to reconsider their often-violent lives. In the second tale, Cardigan hires John Saber to deal with cattle rustling in the area, and Will Kerry, who helps them out during the crisis, is featured in subsequent stories.
