The saga of Silver Bend
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2025-12-16 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77480 |
Description
"The saga of Silver Bend" by J. E. Grinstead is a Western novel written in the early 20th century. The story centers on Randy Ross of the Railroad Ranch as a simmering feud explodes into a range war, forcing him to shed his reckless past, confront fear, and lead after brutal ambushes strike his family. Opposed by the Holderness outfit and entangled with the proud Tarleton clan—especially his fraught love for Zella Tarleton—Randy faces a fight over land, honor, and survival along a treacherous river bend. The opening of the novel follows two cowboys, Old Sankey and the quick, loyal Dolly, who ride into a loaded round-up at Silver Bend just as the Holderness gang provokes a gunfight and murders Asa Ross. Sent to find Randy, they discover Ben Tarleton dead in the timber and then, at the river narrows, the bushwhacked bodies of Peyton Ross and Leck, which forces Randy—long haunted by the sight of death—to face it and harden. After a grim vigil and the funerals, Judge Tarleton publicly accuses the Railroad outfit of assassinating Ben, then is himself shot from across the river, further framing Randy in Tarleton eyes. In town, allies are gunned down and Bell Holderness brazenly appears with Lav Tarleton, while Zella sends Randy a heartbreaking note urging him to flee; he refuses, severing hope of peace. Randy and Dolly capture the Tarletons’ messenger, then slip upriver by boat to reconnoiter the cottonwood thicket; there they overhear Steve Holderness admit he shot Asa, while Bell shot Ben to pin blame on the Railroad, all part of a plan to seize Silver Bend and Zella. As the segment ends, Randy resolves to answer ambush with ambush, targeting the bushwhacker who killed his brother. (This is an automatically generated summary.)