Haycox, Ernest 1899-1950 creator text utu 2025 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "False face by Ernest Haycox" is a Western short story written in the early 20th century. Set amid a rumor-fueled land rush in central Oregon, it centers on a storekeeper-turned-deputy who must quell campsite thefts, clear a wrongly accused cowboy, and expose the true thief. Sheriff Bart McKenzie drafts Dave Budd as deputy when a camp of hopeful homesteaders crowds his store and a brazen wallet theft stirs talk of lynching. A taciturn rider, Sam, pushes a search that “finds” the stolen wallet in the gear of fiery redheaded Bill, who had been courting a young woman also admired by Sam. Sensing a plant, Budd ties Bill lightly and lets him slip away, then baits a trap by leaving cash in a cigar box and waiting in the dark. Sam sneaks in to steal, shoots, and is shot dead by Budd, exposing him as the true culprit. Bill returns from the brush to point out Sam’s cache, the camp accepts the truth, and the innocent man is cleared. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2025-09-26 Roger Frank and Sue Clark Originally published: New York, NY: Street & Smith Corporation, 1926 Short stories Western stories Oregon -- Fiction Man-woman relationships -- Fiction Theft -- Fiction PS New York, NY: Street & Smith Corporation, 1926 https://archive.org/details/western-story-magazine-v-058-n-04-1926-02-13 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76931 https://archive.org/details/western-story-magazine-v-058-n-04-1926-02-13 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/76931 UtSlPG 260607 20260610134800.0 76931