This is the continuing saga of Jethro Spring, a man born of an Indian mother and a mountain man father, who passes through red and white worlds without feeling at ease in either.
In New Mexico, he is drawn into the Lincoln County War, one of the bloodiest chapters in Western history
It was a power struggle between two factions contending for the economic control of southeastern New Mexico.
The trouble started during a time of ruthless exploitation of Anglo and Mexican farmers, small ranchers and business people by Lincoln County's dominant merchant enterprise, J.J. Dolan & Co., commonly known as Dolan-Riley.
CHEEK, ROLAND. Lincoln County Crucible . Skyline Publishing, pap., $16.95. ISBN 091898110-7.
The third volume in the Valediction for Revenge series opens directly after the Lincoln shootout leaves Lawyer McSween and several of his followers dead. Those who remain must decide whether to come back another day to fight the Dolan-Riley gang, or forget about obtaining revenge for young John Tunstall and ride away from Lincoln County. Jethro Spring, the young mixed blood with an Indian mother and a white father, has about decided to ride on, the Lincoln County War having no hold on him. But can he really desert Susan McSween, Billy the Kid, for whom he still feels some affection, and the poor Mexican and white farmers and ranchers, whose economic well-being is threatened by the Santa Fe Ring? Lincoln County is completely lawless. The President sends in Lew Wallace as the new Territorial Governor with orders to clean up Lincoln County. Spring becomes Wallace's investigator and tries to convince the governor to give Billy the Kid a pardon.
Despite Wallace's good intentions the head of the Santa Fe Ring, Thomas B. Catron, is permitted to remain as New Mexico's Attorney General. Catron takes over the Dolan-Riley store and reinstates the control the Ring had in Lincoln County. Jethro is arrested by the corrupt sheriff, George Pippin, who is in Catron's pocket. Pippen is supported by a detachment of troops from Fort Stanton. To Lincoln County residents the bad times are back, and one can feel the hatred in the street. Afraid for his life Sheriff Pippen resigns, and with him goes the last pretense of law and order in Lincoln County. Although the residents feel the worst is over with the resignation of Pippin and the defeat of John Selman's outlaw gang, Jethro feels Lincoln is poised to explode.
This fictional recounting of the aftermath of the Lincoln County War is by necessity filled with a multitude of characters, but Cheek succeeds in so clearly describing the various illegal maneuvers of the many participants on both sides of the conflict, that the reader is able to follow the action. By choosing the years immediately following the Lincoln War, Cheek is challenged to render the complexities of the political, legal, and commercial aspects of situation in Lincoln understandable to the average reader.
He succeeds.
Their association with a close knit cadre of territorial officials and military officers -- known as the "Sante Fe Ring" (the real power in the territory) -- allowed Dolan-Riley to control Lincoln County.
John Tunstall, rancher and son of a wealthy English merchant, conceived the idea of a partnership with Alexander McSween to establish a business to compete with Dolan-Riley.
At stake were the rich military and Indian Reservation beef contracts.
Jethro Spring is drawn into the crucible of violence as the war breaks out in Lincoln County where he is acquainted with most of the gunman on both sides.
As the tide begins to turn with a new Territorial
administration, Jethro befriends the new governor, Lew Wallace, and becomes his confidant and investigator.
Still he can't forget his past friendship with Billy the Kid and others who use him to further their own interests.
As the trouble winds down, Jethro eventually becomes estranged from the unforgiving land and people without peace.
Roland Cheek has used the history of the Lincoln County War and gives it a fresh twist. The dialogue is extremely well-done and the action scenes are alive with excitement.
No doubt we will read more of the adventures of Jethro Sping.
