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Fiction. Western. "The Buckskin Line tells of Texas' chaotic early years, when a ragtag group of irregular volunteers fought to defend the far edges of settlement from incursion by Indians and frontier outlaws. In time, they would become known as the Texas Rangers."�??Elmer Kelton This is a story of the early days when... An intense, red-haired young man named Rusty Shannon rides into Fort Belknap on the Brazos River and joins the Texas Rangers. Years before, Mike Shannon rescued Rusty from a Comanche war party and became his adoptive father. Not long ago, Mike Shannon, was bushwhacked and killed, and his death still haunts Rusty. Rusty thinks he knows the identity of Mike's killers. But with Texas now in the throes of seceding from the Union, Rusty has his hands full fighting for the law in lawless Texas and for the life of the woman he loves. If that were not enough of a burden, Rusty is also heading for a showdown with the Comanche warrior who killed his family over twenty years a… (more)
User reviews
When Rusty Shannon’s adopted father is murdered, Rusty immediately suspects a neighbour with strong confederate leanings. His father, Mike and this neighbour had come to blows the last time they met over their opposite political stands. Rusty sets out for revenge but is turned away from committing murder by the local preacher. He is instead urged to go and join the Texas Rangers who have the difficult task of trying to contain the Comanche from raiding into Texas. His time with the Rangers fighting Indians and his involvement with another family who are being tormented by confederate sympathizers teaches Rusty to look deeper into his prejudices and not judge without evidence.
This is the first of a trilogy that Elmer Kelton wrote about the Texas Rangers. The Buckskin Line covers their early days when the Rangers were made up of volunteers and were formed into small companies that were badly paid but did their best to protect Texas against marauding Indians. Kelton delivers a well written story peopled with strong characters to tell this exciting story of early Texas.