Five Miles to Perdition
By Knibbs, Henry Herbert
In the lawless desert town of Perdition, young gunslinger Pete and his sharp-witted partner Dave ride into danger when they refuse to surrender their weapons to a corrupt city marshal. As tensions rise and alliances shift, Pete must outsmart a deadly conspiracy to rob and murder a powerful saloon owner—or risk being framed for crimes he didn’t commit. With bullets flying and trust in short supply, survival means choosing sides in a high-stakes game where the only rule is shoot first.
Publisher: Doubleday, Doran and Company (in Short Stories Magazine)
First published: 1930