The tin god of Twisted River

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

79163

Title

The tin god of Twisted River

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In the dusty cow town of Calumet, legendary drifters Hashknife Hartley and Sleepy Stevens return to find a mysterious warning letter preventing them from taking a new ranch job. Investigating the threat, they uncover a web of rustlers, a murdered sheriff's deputy, and a corrupt cattle ring. With sharp wit and deadly aim, the duo exposes the villains, clears the wrongly accused, and restores peace to the Twisted River country.

Summary up to 500 words

In W. C. Tuttle's *The Tin God of Twisted River*, legendary cowboys Hashknife Hartley and Sleepy Stevens return to the quiet town of Calumet after six months on the range. Their reunion is interrupted by a strange, unsigned letter warning them against accepting a job managing the HL ranch in the remote Twisted River country. Suspecting foul play, the duo investigates alongside Sheriff Pete Darcey. Their inquiry leads them to the isolated HL ranch, where they discover a note hidden in the coat of Scotty McLeod, a local rancher recently killed by a gunshot. The note, written in the same hand as the warning letter, instructs someone to move cattle through a canyon, suggesting a rustling operation. Upon arriving at the scene, Hashknife and Sleepy find evidence that McLeod was indeed shot at, but the timing and nature of the crime raise questions. They travel to the canyon to intercept the rustlers, only to find the area empty. The mystery deepens when they return to town and learn that McLeod's death was not an isolated incident; another man, Joe Lane, was also killed under suspicious circumstances. The narrative culminates in a tense courtroom drama where Hashknife takes the stand to clear Hank Ludden, the ranch owner who was wrongly accused of murder. Hashknife reveals that the rustlers, including a man named Corliss and his accomplices, were responsible for the killings. They had murdered Joe Lane and substituted his body for their own to frame Ludden. Through a clever demonstration involving a blackboard, Hashknife proves that the rustlers' brand could be altered to mimic the HL brand, exposing their scheme to steal cattle. The climax occurs when the rustlers attempt to shoot Hashknife and Sleepy through a saloon window, but the heroes outmaneuver them, leading to a shootout that neutralizes the criminals. Corliss is killed, and the remaining conspirators are exposed. The truth about the rustling ring and the murder of Joe Lane is brought to light, vindicating Hank Ludden and securing a future for his daughter, Mary. The story concludes with Hashknife and Sleepy leaving the town, having solved the mystery and restored order to the region, ready to drift on to their next adventure.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Western Fiction
• Mystery Fiction