Rangers of the Lone Star

In 1915, without consulting Grey (1872-1939), Harper and Bros. spliced together the last half of this book with the 1913 novel Last of the Duanes to create The Lone Star Rangers--still a popular title. This uncut version is Grey's only Western told in first person; the novel details U.S. Deputy Marshall Russ Sitwell's efforts to help legendary Texas Ranger Vaughn Steele clean up the lawless cattle-rustling town of Fairfield. Sitwell discovers that the town's mayor is in cahoots with a fierce band of outlaws--but Steele has fallen in love with the mayor's daughter and Sitwell with his niece. Grey's characters have depth; unusual for the genre, he probes the psychic damage of cattle rustling--""the bitterness, the defeat, the agony"" felt by its victims--which is glossed over in most cookie-cutter Westerns. One cowpoke, his spirit broken, is reduced to tears in front of Sitwell by the humiliation of losing his herd. This edition will delight fans and serve as a solid introduction for anyone unfamiliar with the Balzac of the range. (July)