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The Coming of the Law

by Charles Alden Seltzer (1875–1942)

  • Free to read
  • 5 hours to read
  • 31 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"The Coming of the Law" by Charles Alden Seltzer is a Western novel written in the early 20th century. The narrative introduces Kent Hollis, the son of a deceased cattle rancher, who arrives in the lawless town of Dry Bottom to claim his inheritance while facing off against the oppressive local cattlemen's association led by the unscrupulous Dunlavey. Hollis's journey revolves around themes of justice and law, as he seeks to restore order to the land his father fought for. At the start of the novel, Hollis arrives in Dry Bottom during a train stop, feeling out of place in the dusty, desolate town filled with saloons and rough cowboys. His first encounter with a local woman in distress quickly escalates as he intervenes when she is harassed by a brutal man. This altercation sets the stage for Hollis's character as a defender of the vulnerable and hints at the larger conflicts he will engage in. The opening sets up a mixture of personal conflict and socio-political struggles, establishing Hollis’s determination to confront the challenges posed by both the lawless environment and the memory of his father's fight against corruption.

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  • Western stories

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Chapter I

THE ARRIVAL OF THE MAN

If the passengers on the west-bound train that pulled up at the little red wooden station at Dry Bottom at the close of a June day in 18—, were interested in the young man bearing the two suit cases, they gave no evidence of it. True, they noted his departure; with casual glances they watched him as he stepped down upon the platform; but immediately they forgot his athletic figure and his regular featured, serious face as their thoughts returned to the heat, the dust, and the monotony of travel.

There was the usual bustle and activity which always follows the arrival of a train. A mail bag was dumped out of the mail car, another thrown in; some express packages were unceremoniously deposited near the door of the station by the agent; the conductor ran to the telegrapher's window to receive an order; ran back, signaling as he ran; the engine bell clanged, the drivers clanked, the wheels ground, the passengers sighed, and the train departed on its way.

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Contents

Show all 31 chapters
  1. Chapter I
  2. Chapter II
  3. Chapter III
  4. Chapter IV
  5. Chapter V
  6. Chapter VI
  7. Chapter VII: The "Kicker" Becomes an Institution
  8. Chapter VIII: Concerning the "Six-O'clock"
  9. Chapter IX: How a Bad Man Left the "Kicker" Office
  10. Chapter X
  11. Chapter XI
  12. Chapter XII
  13. Chapter XIII: "Woman — She Don't Need No Tooter"
  14. Chapter XIV
  15. Chapter XV
  16. Chapter XVI
  17. Chapter XVII
  18. Chapter XVIII
  19. Chapter XIX
  20. Chapter XX: The "Kicker's" Candidate
  21. Chapter XXI
  22. Chapter XXII
  23. Chapter XXIII
  24. Chapter XXIV
  25. Chapter XXV
  26. Chapter XXVI
  27. Chapter XXVII
  28. Chapter XXVIII
  29. Chapter XXIX
  30. Chapter XXX
  31. Chapter XXXI

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About this edition

This free edition of The Coming of the Law by Charles Alden Seltzer comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #31512, released 2010-03-05. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Adventure, Novels, American Literature.

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