Cougar's Prey (9781101544846)

Table of Contents

 

 

THE SCORPION TRAIL

 

“Larry D. Sweazy's Josiah Wolfe books promise to stand among the great Western series. Think The Rifleman in the deft hands of a Larry McMurtry or a Cormac McCarthy.”

—Loren D. Estleman, Spur Award–winning author of
The Book of Murdock

 

“Larry D. Sweazy takes you on a fierce ride . . . This crisp, well-written story returns you to the West as it really was—and you'll like being there.”

—Cotton Smith, author of
Ride for Rule Cordell
and
past president of Western Writers of America

 

“Larry D. Sweazy writes a lively blend of mystery, action, and historical realism.”

—John D. Nesbitt, Spur Award–winning author of
Gather My Horses

 

 

THE RATTLESNAKE SEASON

 

“Combines the slam-bang action of a good Western with the sensitivity of style and depth of character that used to be the hallmark of literary fiction.”

—Loren D. Estleman

 

“A character-rich story about a Texas Ranger haunted by dark memories, on the hunt for a former comrade-in-arms turned killer.”

—Elmer Kelton, seven-time Spur Award–winning author

 

“There's a new fresh voice in the pages of Western fiction . . . His powerful, authentic voice rings steel tough . . . A must read for the Western fan.”

—Dusty Richards, Spur Award–winning author of
Wulf's Tracks

 

“Larry D. Sweazy's novel is a fast-paced, hard to put down book, chock-full of unforgettable characters you will be glad you met . . . a page-turner.”

—Robert J. Conley, author of
The Cherokee Nation
and
vice president of Western Writers of America

Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger Series
THE RATTLESNAKE SEASON
THE SCORPION TRAIL
THE BADGER'S REVENGE
THE COUGAR'S PREY

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

THE COUGAR'S PREY

 

A Berkley Book / published by arrangement with the author

 

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley edition / October 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Larry D. Sweazy.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

ISBN : 978-1-101-54484-6

 

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The adventure of writing a novel may start in a dimly lit room, alone at a desk, but there is no question that the adventure quickly turns into a bright journey filled with new friends, acquaintances, and happy accidents. I offer my humble thanks to the people who helped me along the way as I wrote this novel.

I greatly appreciate the time Bob and Kathy Muller took to introduce me to Tim and Patty Redmond, and their herd of longhorns. It was a fine summer day that I won't soon forget.

Jim Friedt taught me the art of net casting, and standing knee-deep in the ocean on another perfect day (and evening) greatly contributed to my understanding of saltwater fishing.

Special thanks, as always, goes to John Duncklee, for his help with the Spanish language, and his constant encouragement.
Gracias, mi amigo
. Any mistakes are my own.

I enjoyed a day of research with fellow writers Phil Dunlap, and William “Lavista Bill” Bell, at the Pleasant Valley SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) meet. Special thanks to all of the members of the Pleasant Valley Renegades, and Jerry “Nomore Slim” West, for welcoming us and sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm about the guns of the West. Any mistakes concerning firearms are my own.

I am extremely lucky to have a talented group of friends and colleagues who offer encouragement and help in every phase of writing the Josiah Wolfe novels. Thanks to Jeff; Liz and Chris; my agent, Cherry Weiner; my editor, Faith Black; and the entire Berkley production team, for all that you do to make my novels an enjoyable experience for the readers of this series.

Finally, there is no way I could ever thank my wife, Rose, enough, for her sharp eyes and ears. She is my first reader, and we have loads of fun talking about the characters in my books like they are members of our family. Not only am I a better writer for her presence, I am a better human being because of her of love. Thank you . . .

The Josiah Wolfe books are a continuing work of western fiction, set against historical events that often include historical characters. Accuracy of research is something I strive for in each book. But this is fiction, after all, and sometimes the story or a timeline of actual events dictates a little interference on my part to serve a more dramatic, or storytelling, purpose.

For historical works concerning the Texas Rangers and the Frontier Battalion, the following books may be of interest to the readers of this series and have served me well as I conducted my continuing research:
Lone Star Justice: The First Century of the Texas Rangers
by Robert M. Utley (Berkley, 2002);
The Texas Rangers: Wearing the Cinco Peso
,
1821–1900
by Mike Cox (Forge, 2008);
Six Years with the Texas Rangers, 1875–1881
by James B. Gillet (Bison Books, 1976).

Online resources such as
www.texas.gov
, the
Handbook of Texas
, and the
Texas Ranger Dispatch
magazine, have also been helpful in portraying the Texas Rangers as historically accurate, and as honorably, as possible.

May 1862

 

The Virginia highlands looked like the bellies of sleeping giants to Josiah Wolfe. Every day for the last six months had been a new adventure, one more foot set outside of the boundaries of everything he had known and understood all his life. Until he had mustered in Tyler and joined the Texas Brigade, specifically the First Infantry, Josiah had never once set foot outside the state of Texas.

He had barely been out of the confines of Tyler and Seerville, the small town just miles from his father's farm that had been his home from the day of his birth. But now, after months of military training, marching, and train rides, the smell of battle was in the air just outside of Eltham's Landing in Virginia.

Wood smoke lingered in the air, mixing with the scent of a spring morning; thousands of white, yellow, and purple wildflowers coated the ground, and Josiah hardly knew any of the names of the flowers. Not like home. The alien flowers made him miss the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush, and the fresh smell of the piney forest not far from his cabin.

He knew the early wildflower season was nearly over now that it was May in Texas. Thinking of home was a frequent exercise for him, but he pushed the sad thoughts away by staying busy or remembering his anger at his father for not seeing him off to war. But that was the past. There was no need to fret over things that couldn't be changed, not with the certainty of a real fight coming any moment.