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The Floating Outfit #22
Cuchilo
To the Kiowas a white buffalo was a sign of plenty. Only a name-warrior must kill it and even then a medicine-man had to perform the sacred rites over the hide within a prescribed time or all benefits would be lost. The fact that Luke Crammer had slaughtered a white buffalo could easily launch a full-scale war between the Kiowas and the white men of North Texas.
Similar trouble could come too from the Sioux, for their war-chief, Grey Bear, had been kidnapped by a bunch of hardcases and branded a thief. Grey Bear could not accept such shame and do nothing.
Only one person could possible stave off the trouble—the Ysabel Kid, the man the Pehnane Comanches called Cuchilo … The Knife.
J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.
Similar trouble could come too from the Sioux, for their war-chief, Grey Bear, had been kidnapped by a bunch of hardcases and branded a thief. Grey Bear could not accept such shame and do nothing.
Only one person could possible stave off the trouble—the Ysabel Kid, the man the Pehnane Comanches called Cuchilo … The Knife.
J.T. Edson was a former British Army dog-handler who wrote more than 130 Western novels, accounting for some 27 million sales in paperback. Edson’s works - produced on a word processor in an Edwardian semi at Melton Mowbray - contain clear, crisp action in the traditions of B-movies and Western television series. What they lack in psychological depth is made up for by at least twelve good fights per volume. Each portrays a vivid, idealized “West That Never Was”, at a pace that rarely slackens.
- GenresWesterns
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1969
18 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Edson
183 books79 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
July 5, 2023
What a bargain. Two for yhe price of one. Two exciting tales headlining my favourite J T Edson character, the Ysabel Kid. Very enjoyable reading.
August 2, 2018
A CREW TO RIDE THE RIVER WITH
Dusty Fog a d his crew are men to ride the river with. They are fair and they make money, but they don't forget where they come nor do the underestimate the countryside or the people they meet.
The Ysabel Kid is a handful so are all the outfit. I don't understand why the white communities were so angry at the Native Americans, when so many carried their blood. The state's west of the Mississippi River, which included the Indian Territories, which later the state of Oklahoma was established a lot of those folks have Native American heritage mixed in their blood lines. I guess it's just anger at someone who still trying to understand why they've been treated so badly because of their skin color...sad situations..so we do the best we can with what we have.
Dusty Fog a d his crew are men to ride the river with. They are fair and they make money, but they don't forget where they come nor do the underestimate the countryside or the people they meet.
The Ysabel Kid is a handful so are all the outfit. I don't understand why the white communities were so angry at the Native Americans, when so many carried their blood. The state's west of the Mississippi River, which included the Indian Territories, which later the state of Oklahoma was established a lot of those folks have Native American heritage mixed in their blood lines. I guess it's just anger at someone who still trying to understand why they've been treated so badly because of their skin color...sad situations..so we do the best we can with what we have.
December 24, 2013
Two short stories mainly involving the Ysabel Kid. In the first riding scout ahead of the trail drive the Kid must recover a sacred white buffalo hide to keep the Kiowa from going on the warpath. Along the way he meets an old friend from Dusty's Civil War past. How Dusty gained the graditude and friendship of a Yankee lieutenant during the war is told in one of the stories of The Fastest Gun in Texas and expanded in A Matter of Honor. In the second story, which takes place at the same time as the events of The Fast Gun the Kid helps a young Sioux find his way back to his hunting party and tries to break up a whiskey smuggling operation in the process.
October 27, 2021
I loved this book, it featured my favourite J T Edson character Loncey Dalton Ysabel aka The Ysabel Kid aka Cuchilo who was also the protagonist in "Comanche".
Featuring two stories The White Buffalo and Little Throat-Cutter. I much preferred the second story as the first one, featuring a buffalo hunter, was sad because these people killed all those magnificent animals just for the skins.
Featuring two stories The White Buffalo and Little Throat-Cutter. I much preferred the second story as the first one, featuring a buffalo hunter, was sad because these people killed all those magnificent animals just for the skins.
April 2, 2018
Two stories mostly about the Ysabel kid. Well done and enjoyable Edson fare.
February 21, 2021
Very entertaining
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews