Gunsmoke Masquerade

The only hope of finding a US marshal who suspiciously vanished in the desert is rotting in a New Mexico jail!Because of reports of a potential range war in Peasco County, New Mexico, US Commissioner Guilford dispatches Deputy US Marshal Ed Church to help clean up the mess. But after arriving in Agua Verde by stagecoach and renting a horse to ride to the troubled area, Church disappears. At the same time, two top men from rival ranching operations are found killed outside town the day after Church arrived in Agua Verde, apparently the deadly result of a shoot-out.Guilford knows that Ed Churchs best friend, Streak Mathiot, is currently sitting in the Pleasant City jail. Guilford visits and offers him the job of deputy US marshal to investigate Churchs disappearance. If Streak will accept it, the commissioners assignment will take precedence over any local charges against him, and the prisoner would be released into Guilfords custody. Streak accepts Guilfords offer to find his friend before its too late. But little does he know hell be dropped right in the middle of a fight that has already turned violent . . . and possibly deadly.Gunsmoke Masquerade finds Peter Dawson in top form, justifying his reputation as one of the most respected Western writers of all time.