Customer Reviews

The Gunsmith 073: Apache (Gunsmith, The)

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Sangre de Christos Mountains
Union City
Northern New Mexico Territory

Clint Adams is in Union City to see dance hall gal Lotta Cooper, a true beauty and an unpredictably vivacious blond-headed woman. Much later, after time spent with Lotta, Clint meets Judge Cooper and his daughter Judy Cooper, recently moved west from the state of Tennessee. Both the judge and Judy encourage Clint to help Judy find the Apache gold mine deep within the Chiricahua Mountains.

This mine was once located by her uncle shortyly before he died of an Apache arrow wound. The old man described it as "A solid vein of gold ten feet wide that runs along the cave for more than 50 feet." Clint doesn't believe the mine even exists and an elderly miner who has worked that area for years thinks Clint may be correct. Judy disagrees and disregards Clint's advice not to enter Apacheria in search of the mine.

Judy soon takes off on her own with two no-good, layabouts, Shorty Blevins and Vin Hacken only to proceed into trouble and resultant danger. Clint must now ride to the rescue, however, just where did Judy go and where is the location of that mine? Passing through Albuquerque, Clint needs to get to Santa Rosa in the southwest corner of New Mexico. This is a country of "no water holes" and endless "box canyons" it is both 'very dry and very hot'.

Later catching up with Judy's trail will lead Clint only to possible death at the hands of Mexican bandidos, and a Chiricahua Apache chief, Zamora. Death is a certainty unless Clint can somehow get the Apaches to kill off the Mexicans and then turn the Apaches interest to the contents of the gold mine. It is a long shot as Apaches generally couldn't care less about the yellow metal dug from the ground. Good luck, Gunsmith, but it is worth a try. It's probably the only one you've got.

This book from January, 1988, while not as good as some of the latest ones in The Gunsmith line of books is yet a good read. It will keep you guessing and hold your interest.

Let R Rip, book-a-roos.