''A Gent from Bear Creek'' is a collection of
Western short stories by
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906June 11, 1936) was an American writer. He wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. He is well known for his character Conan the Barbarian and is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subge ...
. It was first published in the United Kingdom in
1937
Events
January
* January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua.
* January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...
by Herbert Jenkins. The first United States edition was published by
Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. in 1965. The stories continue on from each other, like chapters in a book.
Overview
The stories are humorously written as if told by
Breckinridge Elkins, a hillbilly with no schooling. He and his kin live in the Humboldts in Nevada. Elkins is six feet six inches tall, is as strong as a grizzly bear, and he can be just as bad tempered if riled. And there is a lot to rile him, especially his relatives.
Though a dead shot, he prefers to use his fists, feet, teeth, etc. In numerous fights he attacks whole groups of armed men and commits mayhem. No one actually dies but limbs are broken, jaws shattered, faces are trod on, skulls fractured, ribs broken, and so on. Even buildings do not always survive such an attack. He picks up many injuries himself, but being shot, getting many cuts with Bowie knives, head bashed with numerous objects, having his ear chewed, scratched up by a mountain lion he then threw into a room full of feuding men and such are just minor nuisances to him.
He previously rode an old mule called Alexander, the only animal that could carry him till he came across Cap'n Kidd, his equine equivalent, and tamed him. Elkins is the only man tough enough to ride the giant, pugnacious horse. Glory McGraw (a local girl) is his sometimes love interest but he is often too dumb to see it.
Contents
* "
Striped Shirts and Busted Hearts"
* "Mountain Man"
* "
Meet Cap'n Kidd"
* "
Guns of the Mountains"
* "A Gent from Bear Creek"
* "
The Feud Buster
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
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* "
The Road to Bear Creek"
* "
The Scalp Hunter"
* "
Cupid From Bear Creek
In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known in L ...
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* "
The Haunted Mountain
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
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* "
Educate or Bust
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
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* "
War on Bear Creek
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
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* "
When Bear Creek Came to Chawed Ear
When may refer to:
* When?, one of the Five Ws, questions used in journalism
* WHEN (AM), an Urban Adult Contemporary radio station in Syracuse, New York
* WHEN-TV, the former call letters of TV station WTVH in Syracuse, New York
Music
* When (b ...
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References
*
*
1937 short story collections
Short story collections by Robert E. Howard
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