The Courtship of Hannah and the Horseman

A romantic courtship becomes a quotidian shoot-'em-up in this sequel to Boggs's Hannah and the Horseman. Set in 1884 in West Texas, the narrative continues the love affair between Hannah Scott, a comely young woman who is raising five orphans on a ranch outside Fort Davis, and her 28-year-old Greek lover, Pete Belissari, who earns a living catching wild mustangs. On her way to her wedding to Pete, Hannah walks into a bank robbery in progress and is taken hostage by ex-Confederate Colonel Solomon Wooten and his gang. Joining a ragtag posse led by Sheriff Buddy Pecos, the distraught groom rides into the desert to rescue his intended. Hannah is taken to Wooten's stronghold among the ruins of a Spanish fortress in a canyon; there, she is guarded by a gallant young outlaw who has warm memories of Hannah from their days growing up in the same orphanage. Meanwhile, Pete is bushwhacked and left for dead. Nursed back to health by a mysterious Greek beauty, he storms the fortress and saves Hannah while Sheriff Pecos brings down the fleeing Wooten with a long-range buffalo rifle. Hannah and Pete each struggle with confused feelings for the young outlaw and the Greek goddess, but true love wins the day. This hackneyed yarn is distinguished by a curiously charming naivete. Although the wide-eyed tone of the tale bespeaks a lack of sophistication, inveterate western fans may find it refreshing. (Dec.)