Paul I. Wellman (1895–1966)

Enoyable traditional western about New Orleans gambler who had to run to Texcas and ends up in the Rangers dealing with the Comancheros whjo traded with the Comanches for loot from Texan settlements. It turns out the woman who he had to flee New Orleans over is the daughter of the Comanchero leader...This has the traditional high view of the Rangers which some now see as ignoring some rather ugly racism, but it is enjyable on its own terms.

I read this book aloud for the Texas State Library. That was at least 15 years ago. The book itself is a potboiler about land grabbing and forbidden love. My most vivid memories are of a huge mistake I made in trying to imitate John Huston's voice as the narrator. The book is quite long and this became a heavy burden to carry for over 300 pages. I believe I tried out Henry Fonda as the money grubber in chief. I also selected a nasty version of Henry Jones for the voice of the heroine's show more pinched little husband. In my mind's ear, these were all marvelous impersonations. In listening to the playback, I could detect next to nothing of my inspirations, but at least my attempts provided a little more life to the reading than the story stimulated in my imagination. show less

It was a pretty good complex western, though not up to the level of Allen Le May's work. Wellman made a good living in the 1950's and sold this novel and another, "The Iron Mistress" about Jim Bowie to the movies. Both books are readable today.
Oh, Comancheros are traders, usually from Santa Fe, who provided the Comanches with guns, and other supplies. Sometimes they were helpful in rescuing white captives.

Mr. Wellman has assembled a competent history of a genetic and presumably culture lineage that enveloped the James-Younger Gang, Belle Starr, the Dalton gang, the Doolins and finally "Pretty Boy" Floyd. It's a very colourful set of family mythology which can be reasonably documented. It reads well.