Ray Hogan
The Ridgerunner (1960)
Author: Ray Hogan
Genre: Western (Traditional)
Plot Summary:
John Locke is on his way to his dream job as foreman of a ranch in Wyoming and stops in his old hometown to visit his foster brothers. He is immediately arrested on suspicion of being involved in the stagecoach robbery his brothers did earlier in the day. John can’t believe that his brothers became robbers and manages to escape from prison to warn them. Enroute to their childhood hideout, John finds his older brother. He’d been shot and just before he died, he asked John to get their younger brother to return the money. John tries to convince his younger brother to do the right thing with the money but his plans are foiled when his brother’s cohorts come back and threaten to kill John. His brother finally agrees to doublecross the other bandits and go with John. However, he changes his mind at the last minute and is shot. He repents and asks John to tie him to his horse and go with him to the sherriff’s office to turn himself in and die as an honest man. All this time, John and the others are being chased by both the sherriff’s posse and the stagecoach company’s posse. SPOILER: After an exciting chase into town, John’s brother makes a full confession and clears his reputation and clears John’s name.
Geographical Setting: Three Forks: small frontier town in an unidentified state/territory
Time Period: the old west
Appeal Characteristics:
The story is fast-paced because there is a lot of action packed into the 24-hour time frame. The characters are more complex than the stereotypical good/bad characters, but they are still fairly black and white. The characterization introduces some philosophical elements to the plot. The protagonist is an admirable and sympathetic character who must endure several twists and turns before his name is cleared.
Red Flags: Several fights, shootings, and death scenes but nothing graphic
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