perhaps killed. His mouth was dry and his knees felt like water. Suddenly he wanted to be away, far away, he wanted to be anywhere but here. Tyrel Sackett was letting him off the hook, he was getting a break, but should he? Was being known as a dangerous man worth the danger?
DON LUIS ALVARADO: A Spanish gentleman, ranching in New Mexico. A man who wanted only peace and time to develop his ranch and raise better cattle.
DRUSILLA ALVARADO: Don Luis's daughter, and a girl who knew a good man when she saw one, even though he was not of her blood or her kind, not even of her religion.
MARTIN BRADY: A saloon-keeper, a man willing to murder or to have a man murdered, a man who changed because of what he saw in another man. His kind, too, helped to open the West, to blaze the trails and to open a business, even if it was a crooked one. But his kind did not last unless they changed with the times, as Martin Brady was to change.
CHICO CRUZ: Dangerous as a coiled rattler and just as remorseless, a man tight as a coiled spring and with a streak of madness in him.
JONATHAN PRITTS: A man with great pride in himself and a contempt for others. He had come west with the idea of taking land from the Spanish who owned most of the grants. He intended to do this by political means if possible, by force if necessary, yet as the moment neared he thought less and less of politics and more of guns. Wealth came slowly in the East, and men of older families held the offices he craved. In the West, it seemed, a strong man might take what he wanted. The Spanish he believed were to be dispossessed and he planned to be the first in line. He had prepared his political situation very well before going west and was sure that once in the saddle all would go well. He was used to using men; the trouble was that the Sacketts were not there to be used.
LAURA PRITTS: Jonathan's daughter, a beautiful girl at first sight; at closer range, less beautiful. But she was a city girl from a background Orrin had never seen. It was as Tyrel had warned. He was seeing his dream, not the girl who was really there. She thought her father was the greatest of men, and wished to see him succeed in his endeavors, which he had convinced her were right and just. She despised the Spanish, the Indians, and most of the Anglo citizens, whom she considered trash. At first, she was much taken with Orrin, a handsome, dynamic man, but even in this she was influenced by her father's wishes.
OLLIE SHADDOCK: From Tennessee; distant relative by marriage of the Sacketts; briefly an officer of the law in Tennessee.
DROVER'S COTTAGE: A restaurant in Abilene well-known all up and down the trail; a place for the big cattlemen to gather after cattle sales. Served excellent food; often as good as could be had in any big city cafe or hotel.
FETTERSON: A very tough man, rider for Jonathan Pritts, and his second-in-command, holding the job Pritts had planned for Orrin Sackett. Not above hiring a killing for Pritts, he could do his own shooting when need be. A tall, blond man with a twisted look to his mouth caused by an old scar.
SANDY: One of three who wanted to kill the wounded Miguel, and fancied himself as a gunfighter until he caught two slugs from Tyrel Sackett. He didn't last long enough to realize his mistake.
BACK RAND: A would-be herdcutter who lived beyond expectation because one of the men riding with him was Aiken, from the Tennessee Mountains, who recognized Tyrel Sackett. Back Rand decided not to try cutting the herd.
JUAN TORRES: Foreman for Alvarado; a good man, wise in the ways of range cattle and horses. Jonathan Pritts wanted him dead.
BULLY BEN BAKER: A former keelboat man, a brawler and a tough, skeptical of Orrin Sackett, the new marshal. Some men took a lot of convincing.
CERAN ST. VRAIN: A former mountain man, trapper, and associate of Kit Carson. Highly respected in Mora, Santa Fe, and by all who knew him. An historical personage.
VINCENTE ROMERO:
DON LUIS ALVARADO: A Spanish gentleman, ranching in New Mexico. A man who wanted only peace and time to develop his ranch and raise better cattle.
DRUSILLA ALVARADO: Don Luis's daughter, and a girl who knew a good man when she saw one, even though he was not of her blood or her kind, not even of her religion.
MARTIN BRADY: A saloon-keeper, a man willing to murder or to have a man murdered, a man who changed because of what he saw in another man. His kind, too, helped to open the West, to blaze the trails and to open a business, even if it was a crooked one. But his kind did not last unless they changed with the times, as Martin Brady was to change.
CHICO CRUZ: Dangerous as a coiled rattler and just as remorseless, a man tight as a coiled spring and with a streak of madness in him.
JONATHAN PRITTS: A man with great pride in himself and a contempt for others. He had come west with the idea of taking land from the Spanish who owned most of the grants. He intended to do this by political means if possible, by force if necessary, yet as the moment neared he thought less and less of politics and more of guns. Wealth came slowly in the East, and men of older families held the offices he craved. In the West, it seemed, a strong man might take what he wanted. The Spanish he believed were to be dispossessed and he planned to be the first in line. He had prepared his political situation very well before going west and was sure that once in the saddle all would go well. He was used to using men; the trouble was that the Sacketts were not there to be used.
LAURA PRITTS: Jonathan's daughter, a beautiful girl at first sight; at closer range, less beautiful. But she was a city girl from a background Orrin had never seen. It was as Tyrel had warned. He was seeing his dream, not the girl who was really there. She thought her father was the greatest of men, and wished to see him succeed in his endeavors, which he had convinced her were right and just. She despised the Spanish, the Indians, and most of the Anglo citizens, whom she considered trash. At first, she was much taken with Orrin, a handsome, dynamic man, but even in this she was influenced by her father's wishes.
OLLIE SHADDOCK: From Tennessee; distant relative by marriage of the Sacketts; briefly an officer of the law in Tennessee.
DROVER'S COTTAGE: A restaurant in Abilene well-known all up and down the trail; a place for the big cattlemen to gather after cattle sales. Served excellent food; often as good as could be had in any big city cafe or hotel.
FETTERSON: A very tough man, rider for Jonathan Pritts, and his second-in-command, holding the job Pritts had planned for Orrin Sackett. Not above hiring a killing for Pritts, he could do his own shooting when need be. A tall, blond man with a twisted look to his mouth caused by an old scar.
SANDY: One of three who wanted to kill the wounded Miguel, and fancied himself as a gunfighter until he caught two slugs from Tyrel Sackett. He didn't last long enough to realize his mistake.
BACK RAND: A would-be herdcutter who lived beyond expectation because one of the men riding with him was Aiken, from the Tennessee Mountains, who recognized Tyrel Sackett. Back Rand decided not to try cutting the herd.
JUAN TORRES: Foreman for Alvarado; a good man, wise in the ways of range cattle and horses. Jonathan Pritts wanted him dead.
BULLY BEN BAKER: A former keelboat man, a brawler and a tough, skeptical of Orrin Sackett, the new marshal. Some men took a lot of convincing.
CERAN ST. VRAIN: A former mountain man, trapper, and associate of Kit Carson. Highly respected in Mora, Santa Fe, and by all who knew him. An historical personage.
VINCENTE ROMERO:
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