by Ernest Haycox
Joe Breedlove, a solitary cowboy drifting south through the rugged frontier, stumbles into Canyon—a lawless town with a violent reputation. In less than an hour, he befriends a fiery outlaw on the run, rescues a rancher from ruin at a card table, and outwits a corrupt sheriff in a tense standoff. A classic Western tale of honor, quick thinking, and the unexpected bonds formed between wanderers on the lonely trail.
Transcribed from Short Stories, March 10, 1928 (Doubleday, Doran & Co.).