Travis (A Western Duo)

A wrongly accused man fights to regain ownership of his ranch, while another tracks down an imposter who has stolen his identity.

In “When a Gunman Steals a War,” Tom Fortune, who has been sentenced to twenty years in prison because of bravery during a penitentiary fire and the flimsy evidence that convicted him in the first place, is paroled. He is reminded by the warden that he cannot violate his parole, or he will be forced to serve the remaining seventeen years. Fortune returns to Sundown country and the XO Ranch, of which he was half owner, only to find that Sheriff Bent Hooker and his two brothers now own the XO. Can Fortune fight for his rights against the Hookers when he cannot, as a condition of his parole, even use a gun?

The title piece, “Travis,” tells the story of Roger Travis who returns from Central America, where he had nearly died. Landing in San Francisco, Travis tries to draw money against a certificate of deposit at the South Bay Bank, only to learn that his account has been cleaned out by another person named Roger Travis, and that the bank was instrumental in processing a substantial inheritance for him. The banker is convinced that the real Roger Travis is a fraud and wants him arrested. In a desperate ploy, Travis escapes. He knows that the imposter is somewhere in New Mexico Territory, and he intends to give pursuit. What he doesn’t know is how Roger Travis has won himself stature in the community with prudent investments—he has half ownership of a ranch, and a number of dangerous and unscrupulous men working for him. This Roger Travis believes the real Roger Travis is dead. When he finds out the truth, he knows that there is only one way to deal with the problem . . .

Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in fiction that takes place in the old West. Westerns—books about outlaws, sheriffs, chiefs and warriors, cowboys and Indians—are a genre in which we publish regularly. Our list includes international bestselling authors like Zane Gray and Louis L’Amour, and many more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.