Book details
False face
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Stored record
Metadata
- Gutenberg ID
- 76931
- Title
- False face
- Language
- en
- Book source
- Project Gutenberg
- Description max 80 words
-
Ernest Haycox's "False Face" presents a tense Western tale of lawlessness and moral ambiguity in a boomtown Oregon settlement. As rumors of irrigation draw desperate prospectors to a remote store, a deputy sheriff struggles with his conscience while a quiet, poker-faced stranger and a volatile local man clash over a stolen wallet. The story blends sharp dialogue, atmospheric frontier life, and a clever twist that redefines the nature of justice and community trust.
- Summary up to 500 words
-
In Ernest Haycox's "False Face," a remote storekeeper named Dave Budd, reluctantly appointed deputy sheriff by Sheriff Bart McKenzie, watches as rumors of government irrigation projects draw a flood of prospectors to his clearing in central Oregon. Among the newcomers are Bill, a red-headed local man, and Sam, a tall, taciturn stranger accompanied by a young woman. Tensions escalate when a citizen reports a wallet stolen from his wagon. While the crowd immediately suspects Bill, Sam calmly suggests searching everyone, leading to Bill's arrest. Despite evidence pointing to Bill, Budd suspects Sam is the true thief, noting the thief's long arm and the fact that Bill had been watching Sam closely. Budd decides to let Bill escape to bait a trap, hiding the stolen money in his own cigar box to catch the real culprit. That night, Sam breaks into the store, steals the money, and is shot dead by Budd when he attempts to flee. Bill returns, revealing that Sam had hidden the money in the brush earlier that day. The story concludes with the community realizing the deception, highlighting themes of suspicion, the burden of authority, and the complex dynamics of a lawless frontier where justice often depends on individual integrity rather than official power.
- LLM editorial rating
- 4.2/5
- Download URL
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76931.epub.noimages
- Local file path
-
data/epubs/pg76931.epubRemoved after upload - Downloaded at
- 2026-07-02 11:51 UTC
People
Authors
- Ernest Haycox
Classification
Categories
- Short Stories
- Romance
- Crime Fiction
- Western Fiction
- Oregon Fiction