“Jericho’s Road” by Elmer Kelton

“Jericho’s Road” by Elmer Kelton
2004, A Tom Doherty Associates Book
ISBN: 0-765-30955-6

“Jericho's Road” by Elmer Kelton is a continuation in the saga of Andy Pickard, who grew up as a Comanche. They kidnapped him when he was a toddler after his mother was killed. When he was about ten years old he was rescued and had to learn to live in western society. He brings to these stories the wisdom of two races. In this story he and Farley Brackett are both Texas Rangers who get assigned to patrol some really rough country; right on the border between Texas and Mexico.

Andy and Farley generally get on each other’s nerves, but they link together in this story to help the folks living along the borders. There are cattle barons on both sides of the Rio Grande and they are mostly all very tough customers. It doesn’t help that the people who are in charge of the Rangers are crooked as all get out.

A large part of the country in Texas is controlled by Jericho and people live uneasy lives. Into this already tense situation enters a blood feud between Jericho in Texas and Lupe Chavez in Mexico.

Before the war the Chavez family had extensive holdings in Texas, but they retreated across the river to Mexico and the holding in Texas was acquired by a Texan, Big Jim McCawley who married Lupe’s sister Juana. Once upon a time Lupe and Jericho had been friends, but times had changed.

Now, the feud and Andy and Farley are in the thick of it. One son dies and revenge is all that is on their minds. Both Andy and Farley show what they are made of when they come to the rescue of the people they’ve sworn to protect.

This is the third book I’ve read in this series. It doesn’t matter that I’m reading them out of sequence at all. I’m enjoying each and every one of them and it’s getting to where I know I’m going to be reading a really good western when I crack open a book by Elmer Kelton.