Springfield .45-70, (Doubleday western)

A brutal revenge killing sets the stage for a relentless manhunt across a burning desert in this taut novel of the south Texas cow country. It's a trail that sends Sheriff Casey Oaks across the Mexican border after a phoney Virginia "aristocrat" and his two young and not-too0bright companions. And adding to the drama of the chase is the special gun commandeered by the leader of the fugitives-a brand new Springfield .45-70 bolt action rifle that can throw a slug as big as a man's thumb a quarter of a mile-making it all but impossible to capture him. As the hardships of the non-stop journey begin to wear down both hunted and hunter alike, sudden violence in the killers' camp takes an added toll. And when the final showdown comes, the sides are almost even.: the desperate murderer and his .45-70 against the aging sheriff and his young deputy, who's been shot in the hip by a Mexican bandit.