When Texas Ranger private Andy Pickard is assigned to help patrol the Texas-Mexico border country he rides directly into a deadly feud. At odds are two land and cattle barons - Jericho Jackson, whose great spread lies just north of the Rio Grande, and Guadalupe Chavez, whose domain lies south of the river. The men are alike in only one respect: their hatred for each other, a hate born at the time of the Alamo and the U.S.-Mexican War, when Mexican lands were confiscated by ruthless Americans. The old rivals have turned to preying on each others' cattle with resulting bloodshed on both sides of the river. Between the two camps, Big Jim McCawley's ranch seems almost symbolic of the opportunity for the people of the two nations to live together. McCawley is married to Guadalupe Chavez's sister, Juana -a fact that does not ingratiate him to either the Chavez or Jackson faction. To Andy Pickard, who as a child was taken captive by Comanches, old prejudices are familiar territory, but the Jackson-Chavez war is flaring out of control by the time he reaches the Ranger camp on the border in the company of fellow Ranger Farley Brackett. The two Rangers find themselves caught up in the feud, risking arrest for crossing the river into Mexico, and risking death for not heeding the warning sign at the edge of Jericho Jackson's domain: This is Jericho's Road. Take the Other. Inevitably, the cauldron boils over and the forces of Jericho Jackson and "Lupe" Chavez meet in bloody combat. In the midst of this battle on Mexican soil are Andy Pickard -- longing to court and marry Bethel Brackett and live a peaceful life as an ex-Ranger -- and Brackett himself, falling in love with Teresa, Big Jim McCawley's half-Mexican daughter. Jericho's Road , sixth book in Kelton's acclaimed Texas Ranger series, typifies "The right blend of action, drama, romance, humor and suspense" that Publishers Weekly said has made Kelton "a master of both plot and character development." *Starred Review* Lupe Chavez hates gringos. Jericho Jackson hates Mexicans. Each has a ranch close to the Mexico-U.S. border. Both ranches' crews spend a significant portion of their time rustling each other's cattle and spiriting them across the border. Young Texas Ranger Andy Pickard is assigned, along with partners Farley Brackett and Len Tanner, to a Ranger outfit charged with ending border violations. Andy was taken by Comanches in a raid as an infant and raised by them until he was a young teen. He's keenly aware of the danger posed by bigots in any dispute, especially one defined in part by ethnic differences. Brackett, a former Confederate soldier, is an outspoken bigot himself and never misses a chance to disparage a Mexican. It seems like a lose-lose situation with Andy and his partners caught in the middle, but if there is a way to end the conflict with a minimum of bloodshed, Andy is determined to find it. The sixth book in Kelton's wonderful Texas Ranger series, about the development of the Lone Star State during the turbulent 1800s, deftly uses characters from past entries while constantly folding in new personalities. This is arguably the best ongoing western series in the genre today. It shouldn't be missed. Wes Lukowsky Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Kelton...expands on his reputation with a thoughtful, realistic portrayal of the West in which carefully drawn characters -- not gunplay -- drive the action. If there's an heir to the Louis L'Amour legacy, it's Kelton." -- Booklist on Ranger's Trail "The right blend of action, drama, romance, humor and suspense makes this a handsome addition to [Kelton's] ongoing saga of the Old West." -- Publishers Weekly on Ranger's Trail "One thing is certain: as long as there are writers as skillful as Elmer Kelton, Western literature will never die."-- True West Magazine Elmer Kelton is a native Texan, author of forty novels. He has earned countless honors including a record seven Spur Awards from Western Writers of America, Inc., an organization that has voted Kelton the greatest Western Writer of all time. He lives in San Angelo, Texas. Chapter One After several years as a Texas Ranger, Andy Pickard concluded that the average criminal he dealt with was about as intelligent as a jackrabbit. That said, even a dullard could pull a trigger and hurt somebody. A case in point was the reluctant prisoner trudging along ten paces ahead of Andy, dragging his feet and wailing about the insensitivity of law enforcement. "It ain't fair," the handcuffed man whined. "You're a young man, barely growed, but you're ridin' my horse and makin' me walk." Andy said, "You shot mine." "I didn't mean to." "I know. You were shootin' at me." The prisoner stumbled over his own feet and almost fell. "How much further we got to go?" "A ways yet. It'll give you time to consider changin' your occupation." Deuce Scoggins had earned a reputation as a second-rate horse thief who could not tell