RANCHERO

A book that's a sure bet for the Coast, and a safe enough gamble the country over. In its predecessor, THE LONG RIFLE, Stewart Edward White set a new high water mark, and this book should appeal to the same readers, and add to the ranks those who crave a glamorous story, against a romantic setting, with a healthy admixture of hair-breadth adventure. Andy Burnett, one of the scouts in the earlier book, is the connecting link. In this volume he has made his way, alone, through the mountains to the coast; and Southern California, in the '40's and still under Mexican jurisdiction, was a setting which demanded quick wit and a graceful tongue. Just how Andy got in and out of hot water, and how romance entered his life makes a delightful tale. A crowded canvas this, with adventure and romance and the sparkle of fiesta in a luxurious Spanish hacienda. Not, perhaps, as important a book as THE LONG RIFLE, but a very charming one, and should sell well.