The trail of deception

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

77016

Title

The trail of deception

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A down-on-his-luck bookkeeper named Jim Bailey is framed for his friend's death and forced into a dangerous identity swap in the Arizona wilderness. As he navigates rustlers, kidnappings, and a complex inheritance dispute, Jim must survive the harsh West while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens to steal a ranch from its rightful heir.

Summary up to 500 words

In W. C. Tuttle's *The Trail of Deception*, struggling San Francisco bookkeeper Jim Bailey finds his life upended when his roommate, Cliff De Haven, vanishes with his belongings. Shortly after, Jim is reported dead in a fiery accident. Seizing a desperate opportunity, Jim responds to a letter from Cliff's lawyer, Ed McLean, offering him the chance to assume the identity of the deceased Jim Meade. McLean instructs Jim to travel to Pinnacle City, Arizona, to claim a lucrative deal involving the Lazy H ranch. Upon arriving in the dusty town, Jim meets Mary Deal, a young woman orphaned by the recent death of her adoptive father, Clint Haverty. Mary is the rightful heir to the ranch, but McLean and the Haverty cousins, Ace and Dick, conspire to bypass her inheritance in favor of the fictional Jim Meade. When Mary refuses to be sidelined, McLean kidnaps her to force Jim's compliance. Jim's new life is fraught with peril; he struggles to adapt to cowboy life, learning to ride and handle cattle while managing his own injuries. His journey takes a violent turn when he is ambushed by rustlers in a canyon. After surviving the attack and killing one of the men, Jim is rescued by Skeeter Smith, a deputy U.S. Marshal investigating a connected mail robbery. As the plot thickens, Jim discovers the "deal" is a setup to defraud Mary. The truth emerges when Tellurium produces a genuine letter from the deceased Clint Haverty, proving the will was altered. Skeeter reveals his true identity as the real Jim Meade, who was previously reported dead in a mine explosion. The story culminates in a dramatic showdown at the courthouse. Ace Haverty is found wounded, and the conspirators are exposed. Jim Bailey, having proven his honesty and courage despite his initial deception, is cleared of all charges. He rejects the offer to inherit the ranch, choosing instead to return to his honest life, while Mary Deal is finally secured as the rightful owner of the Lazy H.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Local file path

data/epubs/pg77016.epub

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Categories

• Adventure
• Mystery
• Western
• Ranch Life