The loot of the Lazy A

The loot of the Lazy A by W. C. Tuttle is a Western novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on Cultus Collins, a laconic range sleuth, who’s drawn into a tangle of rustling rumors, a bitter ranch feud, and a dubious inheritance at the Lazy A. A destitute young woman swept into an assumed identity becomes the wild card in a power play that pits tough cowhands, a slick lawyer, and the rival Star X outfit against each other. Expect fast talk, faster gunplay, and a mystery threaded through cattle-country humor. The opening of the novel begins on a rain-soaked San Francisco night, where Collins rescues a desperate young woman, Mary Smith, then stumbles into a chop-house gunfight that kills a gangster and a crooked lawyer. In the chaos, Collins and Mary flee with the wrong suitcase, discovering clothes, cash, and a letter sending “Janice Lee” to Oreana, Arizona—prompting Mary to assume the role. By coincidence, Collins is dispatched by the Cattlemen’s Association to quietly look into unease around the Lazy A, whose tyrannical owner has just died leaving a controversial will and a rumored fortune in mineral rights. In Oreana, the long-running feud between the Lazy A and Star X flares: barroom bravado turns to street shooting, Idaho Breen (Lazy A foreman) is ambushed at the depot, and Star X hands whisk the arriving “heiress” away—only for a runaway team to wreck and Dude Wheeler to find Mary and carry her to the Star X ranch, where her imposture collides with local grudges and expectations.