Conwell's 25th western (after Atascocita Gold
) is a fast-paced hayburner loaded with gunplay, powder smoke and a wagonload of perforated corpses. Cleve Bollinger is a wanted man now living straight as Clint Bowles. He and his saddle pal, Speck Adams, head to New Mexico after learning that an old friend, Sam Cooper, who Clint thought was dead, is alive and in trouble. On arrival at the small pueblo town of El Jardin, Clint and Speck side with Cooper in a vicious land war with land baron John Rawlings, his small army of hired guns and his paid-for sheriff and judge. Once the baddies realize Cooper has help and Clint's true identity is discovered, the lead starts to fly, and Clint's six-guns don't have time to cool off. The bad guys soak up most of the lead in this oater, and Conwell cleverly helps Clint ride off into the sunset in a satisfying, concluding plot twist. This may be pure western formula, but it sure is fun. (Aug.)
