BLOOD MOON

THE TEXIANS
Book 4 of 5
BLOOD MOON
By Zach Wyatt
Cover art by Bruce Minney
Pinnacle Books, April 1985

While Josh Sands has been eating dust on a wild horse round-up, Comanche raiders have cut a bloody trail as far south as San Antonio. With the Texas Rangers depleted, the Indians are growing in boldness and power. Now it’s up to Sands and his rag-tag bunch to come to the aid of the republic. Along with the undermanned Rangers, they’re going to make a daring foray into the heart of Comanche territory – to stem the tide of terror and destruction – and give the Texians back their future.

Whilst the previous three Texians books have revolved around documented missions that really happened, this story is much more loosely based on historical events. With no funding to support them, the Texas Rangers have virtually disbanded, with many of the men let go. Josh Sands is one of those men. The Comanche take advantage of this situation and pretty much raid and pillage unchecked. Blood Moon tells of the struggle of the small band of Texas Rangers and volunteers to stop the raids whilst facing much larger odds. 

A lot of the early part of the book follows Sands and his friends during their attempt to set up a horse ranch and round up wild horses, including a stallion, to start this project. Whilst doing this Sands has to deal with a couple of Comanche raids and his frustration at being let go from the Rangers. His heart isn’t in the ranch, or horses, but belongs to the Rangers. During this part of the story, we meet some characters that first appeared in the previous book, War Devils. 

As you’d imagine, stories that are based on real events include real people too. Sands is fictional, but he’s friends with Captain John Coffee Hays and will eventually team up with Hays and his remaining rangers to track down and stop a much larger band of Comanches. They are joined by another real person in the Lipan Apache chief Flacco and a small number of his braves. The final battle features a charge into the enemy lines by Hays and Flacco that becomes legendary and the author explains why this happened in a humorous way. This final battle makes for an exciting conclusion to this fast-moving tale.

Blood Moon isn’t quite as good as the previous three books but it is still a very entertaining read and left me looking forward to reading the next book very soon. 

Zach Wyatt is a pseudonym used by George W. Proctor. 

WAR DEVILS

THE TEXIANS

Book 3 of 5

WAR DEVILS

By Zach Wyatt

Cover art by Bruce Minney

Pinnacle Books, December 1984

For the proud young Texan, Josh Sands, there was no life outside the Rangers. And very likely no republic either, without the fierce and fearless band of Texians who put their lives on the line every day, in service for their beloved country.

But when the cigar-chomping politicos back in Austin cut the Rangers’ funds, the battle-weary Ranger made the most of the enforced peace – and the generous charms of the beautiful Elena.

But peace and pleasure were not to last. For meanwhile, at the border, a precisely trained and inexorable machine of death gathered – mustering the might of the Mexican Army to test the strength of the embattled Rangers, and the whole fledging republic.

Like the previous two books, this story uses real events for the backbone of its plot. Sands will find himself riding alongside a small, and hopelessly outnumbered, group of Rangers and volunteers lead by Captain Matthew Caldwell and Captain John Coffee Hays to stop General Adrian Woll and his sixteen hundred soldiers, supported by artillery, who had managed to cut off and capture San Antonio before marching on Salado. Sands will also find himself involved in the massacre of Captain Nicolas Dawson’s men when they tried to surrender to the Mexican Army. 

The author, George W. Proctor writing as Zach Wyatt, plays with historical facts a little so that the fictional Josh Sands can take a lead role in the battles to stop Woll’s invasion of Texas. Sands private life is also explored when he is cut lose from the Rangers due to financial cuts. This part of the story fleshes his character out as we discover how he hopes to make money, how his relationship with Elena is developing, and his views on how Texas can or cannot defend itself without the Rangers.

The story contains plenty of action, from the opening scenes of Sands rescuing a young girl from her Comanche captors and their subsequent attempts to get her back. There are also exciting tactics to discover that show how the Rangers take on groups of Mexican troopers and the larger scale battles when facing Woll’s army. 

Any story using real historical events for its plot means that some readers will know how certain parts of the tale will unfold and come to a close. Proctor, though, keeps things moving forward at pace, and adds a fresh take on the real events by including his fictional lead that should keep any reader turning the pages to find out what happens next.

I didn’t think this story was as strong as the previous two books, but I still found it to be an engaging read, one that both entertained and taught me more about the history of the Rangers and I was left looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

THE HORSE MARINES

THE TEXIANS

Book 2 of 5

By Zach Wyatt

Cover art by Bruce Minney

Pinnacle Books, August 1984

Josh Sands was far from his San Antonio station, but the fierce young Texas Ranger had sworn to protect the entire Territory from her enemies – including the Mexican warships unloading arms in the deadly swamplands along the Gulf of Mexico.

The last thing the hard-riding Ranger expected was to be corralled into Captain Isaac Burton’s mad scheme for capturing the warships himself – with a handful of men who had never so much as seen a rowboat.

But Josh had to pursue a private vengeance as well: to hunt down a death-dealing devil known as Cotton Blue; a vicious gunrunner who had killed Josh’s partner in cold blood; killed for the same pleasure other men found in a woman’s arms… 

Like the first book in this series, Zach Wyatt uses a real event for the main part of the plot, the attempt to capture warships that took place in June 1836. Of course, Josh Sands involvement is entirely fictional as is his pursuit of Cotton Blue. Zach Wyatt blends truth and fiction seamlessly, resulting in an exciting read that contains many cliff-hanging moments.

We also learn more about our fictional hero as we witness Sands freeze when looking into the eyes of death. He experiences guilt and struggles to deal with it as he recovers from a life-threatening bullet wound. His fevered belief of being rescued by an angel floating through the swamp made for some very visual and surreal reading which was beautifully told by the author.

Sand’s loss of his fellow Texas Ranger and his final showdown with Cotton Blue sandwich the main part of the story; Captain Burton’s spur-of-the-moment attempt to capture three warships. I don’t want to say anymore about this for fear of ruining this part of the tale for anyone planning to read this book, but I will add that it makes for some gripping reading.

If you like fiction based around real historical events or books about the Texas Rangers then this has to be a must read and I’d also recommend it to all western fans. Zach Wyatt is a pseudonym used by George W. Proctor and this book reinforces my belief that he is an author worth reading. 

I always found The Texians books hard to track down, but it’s much easier now, if you don’t mind reading ebooks, as Piccadilly Publishing has made the whole series available in this form.

Enemies

By Geo. W. Proctor

Piccadilly Publishing, Aug. 2018

Originally published by Doubleday, 1983

They had sworn to kill each other – an Army scout haunted by the brutal slaughter of his wife and child, and a fierce Comanche warrior who’d suffered his own tragic losses. But when Black Hand and his Quahadi band of the People were finally driven in defeat to a government reservation, Jess Younkin figured he could at last get on with his life. Instead, life passed them both by, as a new, more civilized West took hold, with no place for roughriding cowboys or hot-blooded braves.

But now Black Hand has broken free; Younkin has signed on for one last scouting mission to track him down. And it’s only a matter of time before these two enemies meet, alone on the battlefield – warrior to warrior – in a bloody showdown that can end only one way….

Having read a number of books written by George W. Proctor, all published under pseudonyms, all of which I enjoyed, I had high hopes for this one and it certainly lived up to my expectations and more.

Starting in 1875 we witness the sad ending of Black Hand’s freedom and the final exchange of words between him and Younkin. The story then leaps forward in time to the very early 1900’s and we see how the two main characters have aged and struggled to fit in to the changing world. Black Hand’s yearning to once again see the land he once roamed at will leading him to join three young Comanche in a breakout from the reservation. Black Hand’s vision telling him he will be fine as long as he doesn’t kill, but riding with others eager to prove their ability as warriors this will be a hard challenge to keep as they are forced to steal from whites in order to survive.

Proctor’s character studies are terrific, his dialogue snappy and often laced with humour. His descriptions of age and how the modern world makes many of the ways of the past redundant something we can all relate to. But new ways aren’t always the best, witness the attempt to pursue Black Hand by a posse riding in noisy automobiles to prove this point. Action scenes are well-written and hard-hitting and the pacing of the story is excellent too. 

Even though I’ve mentioned automobiles, it’s really only this short sequence that moves the story from being a tale set in the 1800’s into the turn of the century, the majority of the book could take place in those earlier years. Dust, the need for water, horses, weapons, the young know-it-all cavalry Lieutenant charged with bringing the Comanche back to the reservation, the grizzled scout and more will soon have you forgetting the book is mainly set in 1904. 

The ending is tense, moving and violent, finishing the tale in a fitting and memorable scene that will stay in my mind for a long time to come. Enemies is certainly a book worth reading and must rank right up there with the best of George W. Proctor’s storytelling. 

The Texians #1

as by Zach Wyatt
Pinnacle, May 1984

They were young, proud – and they were all that stood between defenceless settlers and the warring Comanche. They were the Texas Rangers, struggling to bring law and order to the infant Republic of Texas.

Josh Sands is only twenty-two years old but has been with the Rangers for ten years. Ever since he was orphaned. Ever since he saw his family slaughtered by a Comanche raiding party. He has committed himself to ride with the Rangers until he can no longer sit astride a horse … or until a Comanche arrow stops him.

Captain Jack Hays is a veteran, the greatest Indian fighter in the West. He knows that the only way to fight the Comanche is with their own brutal means, with Indian cunning.

Zach Wyatt is a pseudonym used by George W. Proctor and this first book in the Texicans series is based around many events that really happened, so features many people from the history of the West, the main real person being Captain John “Jack” Coffee Hays.

To include these historical events the book reads as a number of different incidents linked by the Texas Rangers and Proctor’s fictional character Josh Sands. After saving an escaped woman Sands begins to fall in love with her – being an orphan has left a yearning of wanting to be close to someone, a feeling he didn’t know was there until he saves Marion Hammer. Even so he has to fight feelings of revulsion towards her as she has been taken by the Comanche and, like many others, he sees her as unclean. So it’s this emotional struggle that ties the other events together.

Proctor bases the rest of the story around three true incidents in the history of the Texas Rangers and San Antonio. The first being the introduction to the Rangers of a multi-shot pistol – the Colt .36 calibre “Texas” Patterson revolver – in which Sands and his fellow Rangers have no interest, until it’s worth is proved in battle.

The second major event of the story is the killing of many of the peace delegation of Comanches on March 19th, 1840. This took place under a truce in San Antonio, which is now known as the Council House Fight. Proctor finishes the book with the Plum Creek confrontations during the beginning of August, 1840.

Proctor does a great job in combining real events with a fictional storyline, which has me eager to read the second book in the series to see if he continues to mix historical facts in as major parts of the coming stories.

Chance #12

WHITE WATER

as by Clay Tanner

Avon, July 1988

When Chance and his old compadre, Sam Clemens (alias Mark Twain), take a New Orleans bound sidewheeler, they’re plundered by river rogues and plunged into the killing currents of the Mississippi. Getting rescued by a raft riding runaway and his friend, a fugitive slave, begins one of the riskiest journeys Chance has ever taken. In fact, with all the deadly entanglements Big Muddy has in store…this could be the stuff great books are made of. Chance just hopes he lives to read it!

The inclusion of Sam Clemens and the runaway on the raft allow for some amusing events and comments, particularly if you’re familiar with Twain’s books.

Halfway through the story it almost seems as if one part of the tale is over and another adventure begins, but George W. Proctor (the author behind the pseudonym of Clay Tanner) cleverly links the two. This in turn leads to an exciting finale that ties up all the loose ends of the first part of the book.

Sadly – for me – this book is the last in the Chance series. Luckily George W. Proctor wrote other westerns too, and most of these sit in my collection waiting to be read.

Chance #11

GOLD FEVER

as by Clay Tanner

Avon, May 1988

When Chance tracks his missing brother Wyatt to the wilds of West Texas, they stumble on an opportunity that’s just too “golden” to pass up. The key to a conquistador’s dream…an ancient Indian treasure mountain! All that stands between them and the legendary loot is an Apache war party, a crazed prospector, and a treacherous underground maze which could lead to a glittering kingdom of gold…or to Kingdom Come.

Whilst waiting for the Wild Card to be repaired – see the previous book in the series – Chance uses the time to find his brother and gets involved in the events described above.

As usual George W. Proctor (Clay Tanner) writes a fast moving and involving tale that made it difficult for me to put this book down as it races to it’s spectacular ending.

Proctor gives the reader some great secondary characters such as the Anasazi Don-Ha-Ta and the prospector Jess Richardson. Having Chance seeking out his brother allows Proctor to flesh out the background to Chance’s character even more than has been done over the previous books.

Although the plot isn’t anything new in western fiction it is beautifully told and once more has me eager to read more in the series.

Chance #10

BAYOU BLUFF

as by Clay Tanner

Avon, March 1988

When the President of the United States wants a million dollars in gold given secret passage downriver…even a gambler has to fold his hand. At least until bullion-hungry buccaneers call his bluff with an old bayou battleship. As the muddy maze of the Mississippi Delta becomes a backwater battleground, Chance finds his paddlewheeler isn’t the only “Wild Card” in this deadly game: a tropical hurricane is headed straight for the bayou…ready to cash in everyone’s chips!

After the slightly disappointing previous entry into the series, Bayou Bluff sees George W. Proctor, writing as Clay Tanner, get back into his stride by giving the reader a book filled with action, a strong storyline, and a cat-a-mouse hunt that makes for gripping reading.

It’s been awhile since the Wild Card and its crew played such a strong central role in the tale and I, for one, welcomed that return. There are also other great characters that Chance has to deal with, such as the ex-Confederate Zeke Boussard and his devious and brutal methods he employs to steal the gold. Then there’s Stella Houston, a woman who just won’t take no for an answer.

The inclusion of a hurricane makes for a great plot twist and sees all sides struggling to survive this natural phenomenon of impeding death and destruction. Proctor writes this confidently and his words create some wonderful imagery as the crew cower from the storm.

A great entry into what is, overall, an enjoyable series.

Chance #9

DEADLY DEAL
as by Clay Tanner

Avon, January 1988

Rescuing a beautiful damsel-in-distress is one thing, but fighting an ancient curse that’s supposedly ravaging her family is another. At first it sounded loco to the riverboat gambler, but when the “spirit” demonstrates its grisly handiwork – seeing is believing! Now as something deadly stalks the Walshes one by one, it’s up to Chance to unmask a killer quickly – or six people’s lives won’t be worth a damn!

This book is filled with a mystery that could be of the supernatural kind, questions as to the who, how and why providing a gripping storyline.

Clay Tanner (George G. Proctor) fills the book with many different characters, any of who might be behind the killings; mysterious deaths without clues. Even Chance becomes a suspect to the investigating detective as he has a knack of being one of the first at the scene of each new death.

After reading the other Chance books I was surprised – and disappointed – that the author left a few events unexplained, such as how the ghostly appearance of the spirit happened, and what of the missing child?

Overall this was a satisfying read although perhaps the weakest entry in the series so far due to the threads left without explanation.

Get a copy here.

Chance #8

MISSOURI MASSACRE 
as by Clay Tanner

Avon, November 1987

Chance Sharpe is still in the Dakota wilds, trying to reach the Missouri and then link up with his riverboat. But things don’t go to plan and Chance soon finds himself two new trailmates, survivors of a tribal massacre. These two are a white woman and her son. They’ve been captives of Shadow Killer, a fierce Sioux warchief - and he wants them back. As the manhunt closes in on Chance, the gambler realizes the odds just maybe against him this time...

George W. Proctor (writing as Clay Tanner) presents the reader with a book that starts slowly and gently builds to it’s violent and crushing - for Chance - ending.

The first part deals with the building relationship between Chance and the white woman who won’t look at him, never mind speak to him.

When Chance finds out just who she is he refuses to accept that Shadow Killer will come after them. Slowly he comes to realise cannot ignore the facts any longer and has to take on about 30 warriors alone.

The fight with the Sioux covers most of the second half of the book and is quiet gruesome at times. The author really sets out to test his hero with seemingly impossible odds and how he takes them on proves to be exciting reading.

This series is one I’d recommend to anyone who likes their westerns tough and brutal.

Get a copy here.

Chance #7

DAKOTA SHOWDOWN 
as by Clay Tanner

Avon, September 1987

A meat shortage on board the Wild Card sees Chance leave his riverboat to go ashore hunting for game. Savagely mauled by a grizzly bear Chance struggles to survive weaponless in the Dakota wilderness. If that isn’t enough he soon finds himself the prey of vigilantes who believe he’s a bank robber. A lawman arrives and takes control of the situation only to take Chance to the hellhole of Beltin where they’ll hang Chance legal like for the lawman too believes Chance is the outlaw who emptied the bank. Soon Chance finds himself trapped in Beltin as the real robbers clan arrive with the intention of wiping Beltin, and everyone in it, off the map.

Almost a book of two parts, Chances’ fight to survive in the wilderness and then the troubles of Beltin. Both parts mesh together well and you’ve moved from one to the other almost without realizing it.

The final showdown in the town of Beltin is violent and exciting as a couple of men take on impossible odds.

And for Chance there’s the women from his past, a woman from book one of the series, a woman who owes Chance big time, a woman he’d loved. Will this surprise meeting bring forth love, revenge or sadness? That’s not for me to say here, you must find that out for yourself.

Get a copy here.