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Lewis B Patten was an American Western novelist from Denver, Colorado. He was born in 1915 and by the time of his death in 1981, he was deemed one of the most prolific western fiction authors of his generation. He often published as Joseph Wayne, Lee Leighton, and Lewis Ford pseudonyms that he would use while authoring novels with his fellow author Wayne D. Overholser. The award-winning author was the winner of the Western Writers of American 1979 Golden Saddleman’s Award for his collection of works. It is an award that is given to authors that have been instrumental in furthering the legend and history of the American West. It has been awarded to authors such as S. Omar Barker, A.B. Guthrie, Luke Short, actor John Wayne and John Ford the film director. Patten is also the winner of the WWA Golden Spur Award and also became a charter member as a number of his short stories and novels were adapted into movies. In 1969 “Death of a Gunfighter,” which had Lena Horne and Richard Widmark in the lead roles was made into a very successful movie.

After he graduated from high school in Denver, he joined the Navy in 1933 and went on to serve for four years up to 1937. During this time, he was stationed on a destroyer that patrolled the waters of the Far East. In 1940, he decided to go back to school and attended the University of Denver to study accounting. Upon graduation, he got a job as an auditor at the Colorado Department of Revenue, where he also achieved much success. He left the department in 1944 to pursue his love for farming and would soon own and operate several ranches in Evergreen, Colo, and DeBeque. He decided to venture into writing in 1949 when he teamed up with Wayne D. Overholder to cowrite three novels in “The Meeker Massacre,” “A Killing at Kiowa,” and “Red Sabbath.” “Five Rode West” which was one of his very first novels was a runaway success as within a few months of its release it had sold more than two million copies.

Lewis B, Patten’s “Death of a Gunfighter” things have come to a head in Cottonwood Springs when Luke Mills is murdered by Marshal Frank Patch. The murdered man had been a known drunk but when someone had yelled from a dark passageway followed by a few shots, Frank had reacted instinctively and killed the man. The town had always wanted Patch to resign and stop his vigilante activities as the defacto marshal. Most people in the community believed that the town needed a proper and regulated police force. Patch had refused to stop his activities and is now a relic of a bygone era that just will not quit. When he had become the town’s law enforcer, it was a place full of wild types that needed the likes of him to maintain law and order. But that had been two decades ago and the shots he had faced from Mills were a first in over five years. Many people in town were afraid of Patch as he had a manner around him that was menacing even though he hardly raised his voice, looked crosswise, hit, or threatened anyone. Patch could refuse to step down as his long stint as law enforcement meant that he knew a lot of things about the movers and shakers in the community. They did not want their secrets to come out and threatening to refuse to pay him did nothing to the stubborn man. After all, he had a lot of money stored away and he lived on very little as it as. But something had to be done as they believed that investors thinking of setting up in town would be scared of the big gunfighter riding in town with his rifle.

“Ride a Tall Horse” by Lewis B Patten tells the story of Jason a sixteen-year-old that is an aspiring deputy. He had heard the sound of gunfire one early morning and while he not yet a deputy his lawman instinct had kicked in. Walking up the narrow street, he found a man with six guns firing relentlessly running out of a general store with a bag full of gold on his back. Going down on one knee while taking aim, he had asked the thug to stop while he drew his Colt and fired. The man did not stop and continued with his frantic dash down the street and out of town. He now had a chance to make a name for himself by arresting the criminal which would surely earn him the deputy’s star. But when he tries to create a roundup party, he learns the hard way that despite his impressive size, almost no one was interested in being led by a sixteen-year-old. They believe that he is just an inexperienced boy but he is undaunted in his quest to bring the criminal to justice. But he soon discovers that being a lawman is not only about carrying a pistol and wearing a badge.

“The Tired Gun” is the story of a Texan gunfighter who is back in his hometown where he had met and married his wife, learned to shoot, and served as marshal. He had been unfortunate to lose his wife during childbirth and grief-stricken, he had left town leaving his son to be raised by his in-laws. He had run away and now did not want to run anymore. He is running away from a revenge crazed Wyoming rancher that is after him since he had killed the man’s brother in self-defense. The rancher has with him more than 20 of his friends willing to exact revenge. He does not know what brought him back; design or chance but now that he is back home, he is never leaving again. It is a story full of suspense as it is built up to showcase the challenges of a man that is determined to make a life for himself in the wild west.