Branded Outlaw (Western Short Stories Collection) (Stories from the Golden Age)

When Lee Weston's father writes him that an old enemy, Harvey Dodge, is back in town, Lee rides out in a hurry from Wyoming to Pecos, New Mexico only to find his father murdered and the family ranch burned to the ground. Certain that Dodge is to blame, Lee sets off to settle the score but gets into a fiery Colt showdown in the town of Pecos. Severely wounded, he flees into the mountains just before passing out. As fate would have it, Dodge's beautiful, yet headstrong, daughter, Ellen, finds Lee's unconscious body and secretly nurses him back to health. But when Lee insists on continuing his plan for revenge, he gets himself into a heap more trouble false accusations, a near lynching at the hands of an angry mob and the scorn of the only girl he ever looked at more than once! Take the law into your own hands, and you risk losing your grip on everything else—including your life. Lee Weston—a young Paul Newman with a Colt revolver at his hip—is as good-looking as he is quick-tempered, and he's got a lot to be angry about.His father murdered, his family ranch torched, he goes gunning for Harvey Dodge—the man who he's convinced is the killer—and it's Lee who ends up on the wrong side of the law. Shot in a gunfight, on the run and running out of time, he holes up in a mountain hideout and waits for death to come find him.But he wakes up in the arms of a beautiful woman who has beat death to his door and nursed him back to life. She's the first and only woman he has ever fallen for, and her name is Ellen Dodge—Harvey's daughter. Can a great loss lead to a great love? Can the search for revenge lead to redemption? The answers lie in the wild heart of the Wild West—in Branded Outlaw.L. Ron Hubbard was so prolific, and his stories so much in demand, he occasionally had to publish under a pseudonym to ensure that his name wouldn't appear twice in a single issue of a magazine. Thus did Branded Outlaw originally appear as being written by a writer named Barry Randolph. But as is clear from the action and authenticity of the story, it was Hubbard behind the curtain pulling the levers. This is one of sixteen westerns Hubbard wrote in 1938—all influenced by a foray into New Mexico to round out his research. His unsurpassed knowledge of the West originated in his years growing up—and riding on—the range. “Packs a ton of action and some priceless shootout scenes.” —EZReader.com Take the law into your own hands, and you risk losing your grip on everything elseincluding your life. Lee Westona young Paul Newman with a Colt revolver at his hipis as good-looking as he is quick-tempered, and hes got a lot to be angry about. His father murdered, his family ranch torched, he goes gunning for Harvey Dodgethe man who hes convinced is the killerand its Lee who ends up on the wrong side of the law. Shot in a gunfight, on the run and running out of time, he holes up in a mountain hideout and waits for death to come find him. But he wakes up in the arms of a beautiful woman who has beat death to his door and nursed him back to life. Shes the first and only woman he has ever fallen for, and her name is Ellen DodgeHarveys daughter. Can a great loss lead to a great love? Can the search for revenge lead to redemption? The answers lie in the wild heart of the Wild Westin Branded Outlaw. L. Ron Hubbard was so prolific, and his stories so much in demand, he occasionally had to publish under a pseudonym to ensure that his name wouldnt appear twice in a single issue of a magazine. Thus did Branded Outlaw originally appear as being written by a writer named Barry Randolph. But as is clear from the action and authenticity of the story, it was Hubbard behind the curtain pulling the levers. This is one of sixteen westerns Hubbard wrote in 1938all influenced by a foray into New Mexico to round out his research. His unsurpassed knowledge of the West originated in his years growing upand riding onthe range. Packs a ton of action and some priceless shootout scenes. EZReader.com

Golden Age Story. Western. Originally published in the October 1938 issue of Five-Novels Monthly.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up—L. Ron Hubbard's pulp fiction Western from the 1930s is a story about young Lee Weston who comes back home to Wyoming to find his family murdered. Convinced that his father's old enemy, Harvey Dodge, is to blame, Weston sets out to seek his revenge. Almost immediately Weston gets into a gunfight, murders another man, and is wounded. He is nursed back to health by a young woman and falls in love with her, only to discover that she is the daughter of his enemy. While this title will probably not be of interest to the majority of teens, there's plenty of action, blazing guns, and some romance here to capture the attention of reluctant readers who like Westerns. The multicast narration is well done, and superior sound effects and musical interludes add to the suspense. The cover art is exquisitely designed.—Ivy Miller, Wyoming Seminary Upper School, Kingston, PA

When Tom Weston writes to his son with the news that his old enemy Harvey Dodge is back in town, Lee Weston loses no time in returning to New Mexico, only to find his father murdered and the family ranch burned to the ground. Certain that Dodge is the guilty party, Lee sets out for revenge but gets more than he bargained for when he's attacked by gunmen, wounded, and forced to flee to the mountains. The beautiful girl who comes across his unconscious body and nurses him back to health is none other than Dodge's headstrong daughter Ellen. When Lee insists on continuing his vendetta, he gets himself into a heap more trouble - false accusations, a near-lynching at the hands of an angry mob, and the scorn of the only girl he ever looked at more than once Lee Weston is blamed for rustling up cattle, which he's almost lynched for. But nothing will stop him from finding his father's killer until he's framed for shooting the father of the only girl he's ever looked at more than once and now the whole town is after him!