Death in the desert is a grimmer thing than elsewhere—but in all ways the desert is a grim school for men, as Pete and his partner knew only too well

Gold is the pay dirt in all these rip-roaring western stories, more of Erle Stanley Gardner’s Whispering Sands series with their unique desert setting. Again the master storyteller features his rugged western hero, the philosophical prospector Bob Zane.In the title story Zane is true to form when he gets a spoiled rich kid to behave like a man and beat out claim jumpers in the desert. Men learn fast out there, or die, and Zane moves faster than any of them, rescuing a pretty hostage from Yaqui Indians, outwitting murderous gangsters in the Painted Desert, avoiding death from poisonous alkali springs, and hunting lost gold in Death Valley. Around camp at night, the sand whispers on the wind and the philosopher in Zane may start talking — but he always keeps his hand on his gun.The stories move at the headlong pace for which all Gardner adventures are famous, and Zane himself is an exceptional character who often reveals ideas that are clearly Gardner’s own about life, justice, and the debatable values of civilization.Says Zane: “The reason men don’t know the law of life is because they’re afraid to look Eternity in the face. Out in the desert they have to look at Eternity. It’s on all sides of them; they can’t turn their eyes away. That’s the spell of the desert.”

Houards FāstsPēdējā robežaPēdējā robeža amerikāņu rakstnieks Houards Fāsts (dz. 1914. g.) romānā «Pēdējā robeža» stāsta par kādas indiāņu cilts traģisko likteni. Šaijeni, kas pārvietoti uz tuksnesigu teritoriju, kurā cieš no bada un slimībām, nolēmuši atgriezties savā senču dzimtenē. Lai bēgļus panāktu, tiek mobilizēti armijas spēki, bet indiāņus nespēj pārliecināt ne ieroči, ne sals, ne bads. Cilvēks bez dzimtenes ir tikpat kā miris,— dzīvība nav augstākā vērtība.Grāmata turpina apgādā «Sprīdītis» aizsākto indiāņu litera­tūras ciklu, kurā jau iznākušas E. Kleina «Indiānis», E. SetonaTompsona «Rolfs mūžamežos» un Dž. F. Kūpera «Takuzinis».Eskadroni jādelēja šurpu turpu.Kādā rančo viņiem paziņoja, ka pazuduši divpadsmit liellopi, un, metot lokus plašajās ganībās, viņi uzdūrās pēdām. Viņi atrada vietu, kur indiāņi bija dīrājuši aizdzītos lopus. Piejājuši pie strauta, viņi ieraudzīja krastā Virdžīnijas papeli, no kuras nokarājās virve, bet tuvumā bija redzams svaigs kaps. — Atrakt!— Merejs drūmi pavēlēja. Tomēr viņš nebija gaidījis, ka no kapa kareivji izcels nolinčotā šaijena līķi. — Kas to būtu varējis izdarīt?— Vints jautāja. Līķi atkal apraka, un Merejs nodomāja: «Vēl par vienu mazāk. Cik ilgi gan viņi noturēsies?»Noskanējis grāmatu un failu izveidojis Imants LočmelisSprīdītis 1993No angļu valodas tulkojusi Anna Bauga Mākslinieks Normunds Sietiņš Redaktore Rasma Vīlipa

Džeimss Fenimors KūpersPēdējais mohikānisPiedzīvojumi, fantastika, ceļojumiIevērojamā amerikāņu rakstnieka indiāņu eposa trešais romāns, kurā tēloti iemīļotā varoņa Nati Bumpo teku zinātāja un mednieka jaunība un 1757. gada karš starp Angliju un Franciju par Ameri­kas teritorijām.Romāns 2. izdevumsNo angļu valodas tulkojušas Eižēnija Turkina un Ruta KokaNoskanējis grāmatu un  failu izveidojis Imants LočmelisMākslinieks Aleksandrs DemboLiesma 1981

D. F. KūpersPĒDĒJAIS MOHIKĀNISROMĀNS 2. izdevumsRIGA «LIESMA» 1981No angļu valodas tulkojušas Eižēnija Turkina un Ruta KokaMākslinieks Aleksandrs Dembo

Emīls FišersPeke VotavsStāsts par balto zēnu, kas XVIII gs. beigās nokļūst pie indiāņiem un tiek uzaudzināts par indiāni, stāsts par ciņu Amerikas rietumos starp indiāņiem un baltajiem kolonistiem.Noskanējis grāmatu un failu izveidojis Imants LočmelisVaga  1993Pirmizdevums — Alfrēda Ūdra apgada, Rīgā, 1943 No vācu valodas tulkojis K. SmilgaMākslinieks G. Sietiņš"Bēdīgākais ir tas, ka daudz kas ir zudis, kas nekad vairs neatgriezīsies. Nekad vairs kāds no maniem pēcnācējiem nestāvēs augstu klintī, un nevarēs raudzīties uz tālo, plašo, neskarto, paradiziski skaisto mežonīgo novadu kā kungs, karalis savā valstī. Nekad vairs manas ausis nesadzirdēs skrējēju bifeļu baru lielisko rūkoņu. Nekad vairs mani zēni un ja tiem būtu desmitreiz ātrākas kājas par manām nespēs panākt balto zirgu, šo stūrgalvīgo balto mustangu ar melnajām krēpēm un melno asti, kas slauka zemi. Tam visam ir beigas. Un lielais Manitū tikai viens pats zina, kāpēc viņš ļāvis izzust tik daudz kam skaistam. Mana sirds ir bēdīga un kļūs atkal priecīga tikai tad, kad es varēšu ar saviem lielajiem lepnajiem virsaišiem jāt mūžīgajos medību novados, ko mums neviens bālseja nevar nozagt." Baltais Zirga Ērglis, ASV indiāņu virsaitis, 107 gadus vecs

In 1866, only men uprooted by war had reason to ride into Tubacca, Arizona, a nondescript town as shattered and anonymous as the veterans drifting through it. So when Drew Rennie, newly discharged from Forrest's Confederate scouts, arrived leading everything he owned behind him—his thoroughbred stud Shiloh, a mare about to foal, and a mule—he knew his business would not be questioned. To anyone in Tubacca there could be only one extraordinary thing about Drew, and that he could not reveal: his name, Rennie.Drew had come west from Kentucky to find a father he had thought dead until the year before. Kinship with a man like Hunt Rennie, however—the legendary Don Cazar, owner of a matchless range and prize stallions—was not a claim to be made quickly or lightly. Posing as Drew Kirby the young veteran contrived to get himself and his friend Anse hired as corral hands at Rennie's Range, but he was hardly prepared for the suspicion and danger which stood between him and his father. As hotheaded as his father, Drew was ready to move on to California—until the day all proof of his Rennie name was stolen from him, and his unwarranted arrest for horse-thieving brought on the accusations of the one man whose trust he needed.Andre Norton's Ride Proud, Rebel! dramatically portrayed the last year of the Confederacy, when brave men like Drew Rennie met defeat with honor. In this sequel, Drew's struggle to establish his identity and begin life anew in a raw, unsettled land reflects the courage of thousands of rootless men set adrift by the Civil War.

The New York Times'"bestselling author's richly imagined work of historical fiction: a powerful tale of the Old West from the acknowledged master of crime fiction.I had an eight-gauge shotgun that I'd taken with me when I left Wells Fargo. It didn't take too long for things to develop. I sat in the tall lookout chair in the back of the saloon with the shotgun in my lap for two peaceful nights. On my third night it was different. I could almost smell trouble beginning to cook . . . .' After the bloody confrontation in Appaloosa, Everett Hitch heads into the afternoon sun and ends up in Resolution, an Old West town so new the dust has yet to settle. It's the kind of town that doesn't have much in the way of commerce, except for a handful of saloons and some houses of ill repute. Hitch takes a job as lookout at Amos Wolfson's Blackfoot Saloon and quickly establishes his position as protector of the ladies who work the backrooms - as well as a man unafraid to stand up to the enforcer sent down from the O'Malley copper mine.Though Hitch makes short work of hired gun Koy Wickman, tensions continue to mount, so that even the self-assured Hitch is relieved by the arrival in town of his friend Virgil Cole. When greedy mine owner Eamon O'Malley threatens the loose coalition of local ranchers and starts buying up Resolution's few businesses, Hitch and Cole find themselves in the middle of a makeshift war between O'Malley's men and the ranchers. In a place where law and order don't exist, Hitch and Cole must make their own, guided by their sense of duty, honor, and friendship.

Zena GreijsRietumu likumsNo vācu valodas tulkojusi M. Sarma . Mākslinieks P. LISENKONoskanējis grāmatu un  failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis

RIETUMU LIKUMSZENA GREJSNo vācu valodas tulkojusi M. SARMA . Mākslinieks P. LISENKO

Zena GreijsRietumu likums. Arizonas lauvaAbos romānos atspoguļoti tie laiki, kad Amerikas rietu­mus vēl dēvēja par «mežonīgajiem rietumiem», kur visās cilvēku savstarpējās attieksmēs valdīja dažkārt nežēlīgi, bet taisnīgi likumi.Galveno varoņu piedzīvojumi ir līdzīgi abos romānos. Te ir cīņas taisnības, mīlestības, goda dēļ. Sevišķi izceļas romāna «Arizonas Lauva» galvenais varonis Ričs Emss, kas sākumā ir vienkāršs kovbojs, bet, nelaimīgu apstākļu spiests, atstājis savu dzimteni un gadu gaitā kļuvis par tā saukto Arizonas Lauvu, kas visos cīniņos neaizmirst sirdsapziņu un taisnīgumu. Tādēļ viņu bīstas un ciena. Beidzot pēc daudziem grūtiem, gadiem liktenis arī viņu atalgo ar laimīgām dienām.No vācu valodas tulkojusi M. Sarma . Mākslinieks P. LisenkoNoskanējis grāmatu un  failu izveidojis Imants LočmelisMākslinieks P. LisenkoGreijs Z.Gr 384 «Rietumu likums» un «Arizonas Lauva». Ro­māni. — R., Firma «Olna», 1995. — 288 lpp. ISBN 5—87926—033—X

Territorial marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch figured things had finally settled down in Appaloosa when Boston Bill Black’s murder charge was dropped. But all that changed when Augustus Noble Driggs was transferred to a stateside penitentiary just across the border from Mexico. Square-jawed, handsome, and built like a muscled thoroughbred stallion, Driggs manages to intimidate everyone inside the prison walls, including the upstart young warden.

In a haunting twist of fate, Driggs and a pack of cold-blooded convicts are suddenly on the loose — and it’s up to any and all territorial lawmen, including Cole and Hitch, to capture the fugitives and rescue the woman kidnapped during their escape. But nothing is ever quite what it seems with the ever-elusive Driggs. Finally free, he’s quickly on his own furious hunt for a hidden cache of gold and jewels — and for the men who betrayed him and left him for dead.

With an unlikely and unconventional Yankee detective by their side, Cole and Hitch set off on a massive manhunt. As horses’ hooves thunder and guns echo deadening reports, Driggs discovers one of the lawmen on his trail is none other than a fellow West Point graduate he’d just as soon see dead. Ruthless and willing to leave a bloody path of destruction in his wake, Driggs seeks vengeance at any cost.

Appaloosa, the hometown of Territorial Marshals Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, continues to prosper, but with prosperity comes a slew of new trouble: carpetbaggers, gamblers, migrants, peddlers, drifters, thieves, and whores, all boiling in a cauldron of excess and greed. And there’s a new menace in town: a wealthy, handsome easterner — and the owner of Appaloosa’s new casino — Boston Bill Black.

Boston Bill is flashy and bigger than life. He’s a prankster and a notorious womanizer, and with eight notches on the handle of his Colt, he’s rumored quick on the draw. When he finds himself wanted for a series of murders, he quickly vanishes. Cole and Hitch locate and arrest him, but Boston Bill escapes once again. Another murder sets the duo on his trail, eventually taking them back to Appaloosa — where one woman in particular may — or may not — prove to be the apple of Boston Bill’s eye.

Allison Parker needs a convincing excuse to come home to Rocky Mountain House. A hopelessly romantic reason that won’t let her mother suspect the truth—that Allison has discovered Mom is keeping a terrible secret from the family.Gabe Coleman is struggling with two of the roughest parts of ranching: dealing with his bull-headed mule of a father, and making enough to pay the bills. When his old friend Allison offers to help him develop his ideas for organic ranching—in trade for pretending to be her fiancé—it sounds like the perfect set-up.Yet the deception leads them in an unexpected direction, where their shared daily hells are erased by nights of heavenly distraction. It’s not supposed to be real, but once the gates are opened, there’s no denying they’ve found in each other a little bit of Paradise.To break free of the past and face the future, though, will take more than temporary pleasures. It’ll take putting their hearts on the line.Product Warnings Tortured hero with a guardian-angel complex, grief-stricken heroine willing to sacrifice everything for family. Break out the tissues, this trip to the ranch is a heartbreaker on the way to the HEA.

Matt Coleman always figured at this point in his life, he d be settled down with a family. Since his ex split for the big city, though, no way will he give anyone else the chance to drop-kick his heart. Physical pleasure? Hell, yeah, he ll take and give with gusto, but nothing more.Hope Meridan is working long hours to hold on to her new quilt shop, going it alone since her sister/business partner ran off. Sex? Right, like she s got the time. Not that she doesn't have the occasional dirty fantasy about Matt. Fat chance he d dream of knocking boots with her the younger sister of the woman who dumped him. Nope, she ll just have to settle for the F-word."Friends" would be far easier if there wasn't something combustible going on between them. And when casual interest starts to grow into something more, their tenuous bond strengthens in the heat of desire. But it may not survive the hurricane-force arrival of the last person either of them ever wanted to see againWarning: Small-town rivals, men in pursuit and family meddling in good and bad ways. Look for a cowboy who knows how to rope, ride and rein in a hell of a lot more than eight seconds of sheer bliss.

Beth Danube’s emotionally abusive husband is dead and buried. So is her heart. It’s no big deal, she has all she wants: her three little boys and a fresh start in a small Alberta town. What she doesn’t want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever. After ten years of unsatisfactory, missionary-position sex, she never expected her libido to reawaken. One look at sex-in-boots Daniel Coleman in a Calgary bar, though, blows the dust off her sexuality. Sensing an edge of desperation, even fear, beneath Beth’s come-on, Daniel finds himself giving in to the powerful urge to let his normally subdued desires run wild. The lady wants non-judgmental, non-vanilla sex? She’s got it—in and out of the bedroom. At first, friends with blazing-hot benefits is more than enough. Then she realizes Daniel is burning away the protective fortress around her heart…and the guilty secret she dare not reveal. Warning: One woman determined to retake control of her life, a man with the single-minded purpose of offering her—and her body—everything she needs. Inappropriate behavior in barns, change rooms, and oh-my-gawd phone sex with a cowboy.

Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a western-hat-wearing blonde with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off. Jaxi has other plans for Blake’s hands, and his heart. She may have once considered him a big brother, but that was a long time ago. She’s all grown up now and ready to convince him that she’s perfect for him. Except he can’t seem to see past the big “don’t touch” sign that’s apparently still hanging around her neck. When Jaxi ends up living right under Blake's nose, the undeniable heat between them slides off simmer and leaps up to barn-burning levels. However, a few of the younger six-pack Colemans have decided Jaxi’s brand of trouble is worth risking a few busted bones. That is, if Blake’s finally ready to let go the reins and fight for what he wants…Warning: Sexy cowboys seducing and being seduced in trucks, pool halls and barns. Droolworthy country charm, a little double-teaming, a few secrets and a whole lot of brothers to look forward to. Anyone wanna go for a ride?

The best type of growing up involves getting down and dirtyVicki Hansol made different choices than her less-than-reputable mom and sister, yet her fiery temper has left her branded with the same town-bad-girl label. When she desperately needs a change of scenery, her get-out-of-town-free ticket arrives—and requires she face down one of her deepest fears.Easygoing Joel Coleman has nothing to complain about, but he’s never really done anything to brag about either. The youngest member of the Six Pack Ranch is looking to make some changes in his life that include stepping out from under his twin brother’s shadow.So when the bold beauty with the smart mouth approaches him with a proposition, Joel is intrigued. Her request for him to teach her to ride soon takes on a whole new meaning. All that passion in his arms, his bed, in the barn…hell, anywhere he can get it? Bring it on.But tangling the sheets leads to unanticipated complications, and by the time the dust settles, everything family means is going to be challenged.Caution: Saddle up for some youthful vigor applied with great enthusiasm. Ropes, rails and raunchy sex—there’s more places to get dirty around the ranch than first meets the eye.

Ernests Setons-TompsonsRolfs mūžamežosMežonīgā, noslēpu­mainā Ziemeļamerikas daba, visdažādākie zvēri, mazā Rolfa un indiāņa Kuoneba raibie piedzīvojumi — ar visu to jūs sastapsieties, lasot šo grāmatu.No angļu valodas tulkojis Valdis GrēviņšNoskanējis grāmatu un  failu izveidojis Imants LočmelisRedaktors Guntars JēgerisMākslinieks Uldis Sosnovskis© Janino Kursite, ievads, 1991 (C) Uldis Sosnovskis, mākslinieciskais noformē­jums, 1991Rīga «Sprīdītis»