Was real for me

Maybe you have read Sudden novels. The wild west series was written by English writer Oliver Strange in 1930s. The strange fact is that the writer had never been to America.

Sudden was a sharp gunfighter known for his bravery, brevity, and dry wit. He could be cool as a cucumber in the frying desert, tough as nail when the chips were down, always fair, and chivalrous. He was lightning fast (‘Sudden’) with his worn-smooth guns and rode his loyal black stallion. A lone rider with a reputation that preceded his silent arrival. A law-abiding man who minded his business, who chose to stand with the underdog.

And then there is this incredibly vivid description of the raw unending landscapes, the people – the native Apache tribes & European white settlers – and their motives, the dusty untamed towns, and the smell of gunpowder & greed.

Quotes:

• The word had filtered out that Sudden was dead and there was no one around to contradict it. Men, who had cringed before, swaggered now others boasted of their encounters with Sudden, the coward. Only one man stayed quiet. A tall, saturnine fellow wearing two guns, tied low.

• ‘What’s your name?’ Sudden asked quietly. ‘Lanty,’ the man replied. ‘What’s that to you?’ Sudden grinned, a cold and mirthless grin. ‘I might need it for your tombstone.’

Inspired by Sudden, a few lines:

Ride the trail

And take the bends as they come along

The birds of prey circle up in the sky

And the Sun shines dangerously hot

The winds whistle as they blow up the dust

And a lonely cloud roams the blue sky

Signs signals and omens

Come and go

You keep your eyes on the road

Stay on course

__________

Sudden was unputdownable. You want to meet him in person – has to be real, cannot be fictional.

How does someone with so less have so much.  He stood out while he tried to blend in.

Have you had a Sudden in your life?