Luck and a Horse

A Western Duo

By: Max Brand

Narrated by: Tim Getman

Found among a group of unpublished works by Frederick Faust, these two Western stories both deal with cowardice.

In "Traynor", the title character is believed to be a weak young man, having let Dr. Parker Channing steal his love, Rose Laymon, away from him. When the stage Traynor is driving into Little Snake is robbed and Traynor’s best friend and stage guard, Sam Whitney, is killed by the robber, Traynor chases the thief and recovers his dropped Stetson, which was sold to Dr. Channing less than a month earlier. The medico takes off after Traynor confronts him, and despite a physical weakness overwhelming him, Traynor finds himself chasing the only man who can save him.

In "Luck and a Horse", Tommy Grant works day and night on the farm of the tyrant and master manipulator Sylvester Train, who has not paid him for 19 months. The man runs roughshod over Tommy as well as his niece, Margie Train. When Tommy balks at using his horse, Brownie, in the plow, Train sends him to Fruit Dale with two wagons of grain and a shopping list. In town, he learns that Lefty Lew Hilton is looking to gun down the jailbird Bert Ellis. Events take a strange turn when Tommy finds himself in the back room of a saloon, playing cards with Ellis. When Ellis is shot in the middle of the game, a hundred posse men give chase to Tommy, who is believed to be the killer of Ellis.

©2020 Max Brand. The name Max Brand® is a registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and cannot be used for any purpose without express written permission. (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Chronicle of Cowards!

Traynor – Larry Traynor’s lack of courage branded him as a coward. His long-time friend was dead and he must avenge his departed soul. What follows is a complex tale of determination, emotion, and jealousy. Not something you often encounter in a western.
Luck and a Horse – Tommy Grant was not a man of courage. Rather, he was scared of most men, only having an affinity with horses. He also feared the girl he loved would never respect him. But sometimes things work out, with luck and a horse.

at once enthralling and genious

like the way the author has a way of entrancing his audience with emotions and ingenuity. also like the way he treats the animals. strong men handle animals with care, respect and love

Not thrilled, too much romance

Perhaps I picked a poor intro to Max Brand that doesn't reflect his true nature, but both of these stories had way too much young love to retain my interest. I was looking for more straight up Western and the budding romances were not my thing. Unfortunately, it was the basis of the story in both titles. Will move on to other Max Brand books to see if there is any shift in focus.