The Shadow of a Gun is a Western novel written by H. Clay Merritt. The story takes place in the late 1800s in the Wild West, where the main character, a young cowboy named Tom, finds himself caught up in a dangerous situation involving a notorious outlaw named Black Bart. Tom is falsely accused of being an accomplice to Black Bart's crimes and is forced to flee for his life.As Tom tries to clear his name, he encounters a cast of colorful characters, including a beautiful saloon girl, a tough lawman, and a group of ruthless bandits. Along the way, Tom learns the true meaning of courage and sacrifice as he fights to prove his innocence and bring Black Bart to justice.The novel is filled with thrilling action scenes, vivid descriptions of the Western landscape, and memorable characters. It is a classic tale of the Wild West that will appeal to fans of the genre and anyone who enjoys a good adventure story. With its fast-paced plot and engaging characters, The Shadow of a Gun is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.Aficionados of old North American hunting books regard The Shadow of a Gun (1904) as being among the rarest of the rare. Long out of print, only thirteen copies�������eleven of which are in public libraries�������are known. In addition to its scarcity, The Shadow of a Gun is doubtlessly the most comprehensive, firsthand account of that now illegal business generally known as �������market hunting,������� the taking of wildlife for commercial purposes. Merritt�������s account of his personal activities in shooting, preserving, transporting, and selling game is the most detailed known, despite much other scattered contemporary information, largely anecdotal, fragmentary, and secondhand. Merritt was highly regarded by fellow Kewanee townspeople as a pillar of success, a community supporter, a respected businessman, and beneficent parishioner of the local Baptist church. Market hunting had been very good to Merritt but fatal to his quarry. But let Merritt spin his fascinating and informative tale in his own words�������.--Henry M. Reeves.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
This book is part of the Ralph Compton Western Books series and is book #28 in the series.