Six Gun Pay-Off (sic, “six-gun”) by Zed Montana was published by Pemberton’s (of Manchester) Ltd and sports a cover illustration by Denis McLoughlin. No date. Appearing in the Action Novels series, this was printed in England (as opposed to the previously blogged Pemberton’s commissioned Action Novels that came out of Canada and sported no cover price) by the Blackfriars Press. Text begins on page 3 and concludes on 128.
The rear cover advertises Texan Trouble-Buster by Earle Sumner. The inside rear cover advertises Piccadilly 9d Novels, numbers 264-273. These were all recorded as published in 1948. It’s safe to assume the Zed Montana book was likewise published 1948.
The tale begins as one of simple vengeance. A young Jim Foster receives a letter from religious man out West concerning the fate of his father. The man notes that he came upon the dying man and recorded his final words, concerning betrayal via his gold-mining partner. His partner sold the premises under false pretenses, certain his partner would be dead by the time he vacated. Only, he didn’t die, and the religious man discovered him wasting away in the crude cabin. Foster quits his Eastern education and rides West in the hope of locating the man he has sword to murder.
Only, Foster is utterly lost. He doesn’t know just where his father’s partner (Luke Travers) is. He clearly took the money received for the gold mine and departed for parts unknown. So Foster is traveling the bad lands and frontier towns searching for his man. His only problem is that Travers may be living under an assumed name.
But before Foster can locate his man, he comes across a man injured in a gully with his horse. Lending him assistance, he soon learns that the man is Black Morton, outlaw. His mug is pasted on circulars in every town, and now that Foster knows the man’s identity, he recognizes the face. Despite this, he can’t abandon the wounded outlaw. Surprised by Foster’s honest generosity, Black Morton instructs Foster where to drag his wounded body. Eventually they arrive at Black Morton’s secret hideaway and a friendship develops.
Realizing something is eating at Foster, Black Morton coaxes the truth out of him. Foster hands him the letter and permits him to read it. Morton takes a liking to the “kid” and wants to see him sling lead at a target. His aim is horrendous. He makes a deal: help mend Morton to health, and all the while, he will teach Foster how to shoot fast, accurately, and deadly.
Only, Morton detains him longer than planned. He realizes Foster is green to reading people. So, he goes straight, cleans up, and the pair hit the trail and briefly join numerous ranches so that Foster can learn to read different types of people, fight, develop bodily, etc.
Finally comes the time when Jim Foster announces it’s time to separate from Black Morton and pursue his destiny. They’ve received word that a Luke Travers is operating in a boomtown, owns a massive ranch. Black Morton doesn’t wish to go separate ways, figuring they are practically inseparable partners now. Foster disagrees. He must do this on his own…
…and so, Foster rides. Fast-forward, he arrives in town, escorted by the local sheriff. Walking into the saloon, he waits and listens, and eventually a boisterously proud snob walks in offering to buy drinks all around. His name is given to be Mark Travers, son of Luke Travers. Murder boils into Foster’s eyes and he vocally turns down the proffered drink. Mark doesn’t take well to the insult, and slaps leather. Foster’s gun teleports magically into his palm and he wings Mark, instead of killing him, which in the wild West would have been his right.
The sheriff isn’t happy by the shooting, but witnessed the confrontation.
Departing the saloon, Foster is approached by a larger man, rancher by name of Goldie Masser. He wants to hire Foster, but Foster reads him perfectly. Clearly Masser approved of his shooting Mark Travers, ergo, he must have something against Luke Travers. So, he agrees, and signs on.
While out riding freely the territory to explore, he witnesses a lone rider’s horse slip in the river and the rider fails to surface in the turbulent water. Riding hard to the rescue, he’s surprised to discover the rider is a young lady. And pretty, too. They hit it off wonderfully, love at first sight, but he’s mortified to learn she is Luke Travers’s niece. Instead of escorting her home, he rides away, leaving her utterly baffled.
Joan Travers rides home, relates her harrowing experience to Luke Travers, and he is horrified to learn the identity of the young man. He’s certain it is his late partner’s son. Turns out Travers has a guilty conscience. He is disgusted with his son, Mark (who is actually adopted) as they argue on a regular basis. His son turned out to be a bad seed, and mixes often with Goldie Masser. His niece though is a good, clean soul.
Luke whips out his will and burns it, then writes a new will, has his two black servants sign it as witnesses, and seals it. The new will practically excludes Mark altogether. He gets some cash. That’s all. She gets the rest. The ranch though? It is relinquished 100% to Jim Foster. However, should he not claim it within two years of Luke Travers’s death, it goes to the state!
Returning to Goldie Masser, he’s in bed with a corrupt money-man whom has learned that the railroad intends to move through their town. The plans note the new line must go straight across Luke’s property. Translation: the government will pay the property owner to run a line through and construct a depot, etc. So, he befriends the constantly drinking and partying Mark Travers, and with the arrival of Jim Foster, decides to speed along his plans.
Luke Travers is murdered. Investigation proves that Jim Foster, despite claiming to have been asleep in the bunk the whole night, was the killer. His horse is lathered in sweat, having been rode hard. That’s enough for the town and Mark Travers. But the sheriff isn’t corrupt and easily swayed. He places Foster under arrest and leads him to his jail cell. Placed inside, he keeps Foster company while Mark Travers and company raise hell at the saloon. It’s not long before they decide to take matters into their own hands.
Pistol-whipping the sheriff, the deputies surrender Foster and he’s led away to be lynched. Only, a mysterious man appears and shoots everyone that tries to hang Foster. His hand draws quickly and shoots person after person. Anyone else want to die? No? Great. Cut down Foster and hand him over! They do, and ride like hell away as pursuit is soon beating a path after them.
Foster’s rescuer of course is none other than Black Morton. Turns out he secretly trailed the young man and has been in town off-and-on investigating and listening in to discussions. Leading Foster to a cave he located far away, Foster is nonplussed to discover a man tethered inside. It’s Goldie Masser’s money-man, and he has a yellow streak a mile wide. He has previously confessed his sins to Black Morton, and that latter outlaws relates it all to Jim Foster.
Prior to Foster’s escape, Mark Travers discovers the will was changed and realizes that Masser had played him for a fool. Confronting the man, he agrees to sell the ranch (which he will never own) and accepts cash in hand. Then he draws his gun and informs Masser he’s going to kill him. He knows beyond a doubt Foster is innocent and that Masser arranged for his adopted father’s murder. One of Masser’s gunhands walks in from behind and blows Mark away.
Back to Foster and Morton: they soon see a blaze on the distant horizon. Luke Travers’s ranch is ablaze. Fearing that Joan is dead, the pair ride hard and discover some ranch-hands bound and one black servant tied up, slated to burn to death. Cutting them loose, they are astounded to behold Jim Foster, who they previously knew to be Luke’s killer. They are set straight and told to get the sheriff. The pair intend to ride to Masser’s ranch and rescue the niece and the female black servant with her.
Switching over to Masser, he had convinced Joan Travers that Jim Foster and the unknown helper (Black Morton) escaped, and intends to attack the Travers ranch. She can’t fathom all this and eventually agrees to leave with him. Collecting her belongings, she and her servant depart in his buggy. While they are riding hard, he sneakily pushes Joan’s luggage off the buckboard and it drops into the river. Arriving at Masser’s ranch, he puts them up in a room and gloats to his men that he has nearly succeeded. He has also managed to obtain them via physical threat.
The gloat ends quickly when his top-hand guns him down. He’s certain that Masser is going to play him and the men dirty, so he murders his boss and takes all the cash. He and the few remaining dishonest men then discover that Foster and Morton are outside and a gun battle ensues. The sheriff finally arrives with the entire town, and surrounds the ranch.
Morton throws the top-hand a challenge. Whomever survives walks away a free man. Morton wins, but it’s a close shave as he receives lead.
Joan and Foster get the wounded man into the wagon and ride to the burned to cinder ranch. Foster learns from Joan that the ranch was willed to him and they proclaim their love for each other. Morton announces he’s too old to play outlaw anymore and is happy to take a bunk while they get their act together. The lovers smartly note that they’ll need a new foreman, and Black Morton is their target.
He accepts.
An excellent novel, with plenty of twist and turns. I steered clear of informing YOU but I assure you there is enough web-work involved. Unfortunately, the “n” word turns up a couple times late in the text, but frankly, it keeps in time with the era in which the story takes place.