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The Floating Outfit #9
The Hooded Riders
It all began when young Wes Hardin stepped up to a wrestling booth to try his strength against big brawny Sam. Within a few minutes a vicious gunfight had developed, and then Wes was on the run, branded a murderer—and without a single witness alive to testify to his innocence. Then he met his cousin, Dusty Fog...
The floating outfit—Dusty, Mark Counter and the Ysabel Kid—took up the fight against the evil corruption which had laid its hand against Wes Hardin.
The floating outfit—Dusty, Mark Counter and the Ysabel Kid—took up the fight against the evil corruption which had laid its hand against Wes Hardin.
- GenresWesterns
158 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1965
About the author
J.T. Edson
183 books79 followersJohn Thomas Edson is an English writer of Westerns.
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
He was born in 1928.He was obsessed with Westerns from an early age and often "rewrote" cowboy movies that he had seen at the cinema. One thing that always intrigued him was the minutiae—how did the baddie's gun jam? What were the mechanics of cheating at cards? How did Westerners really dress and speak?
His writing was helped to develop by a schoolteacher who encouraged him. Now lives in Leicester, Leicestershire.[citation needed]
During his 20s and 30s, Edson served in His Majesty's Armed Forces for 12 years as a Dog Trainer. Cooped up in barracks for long periods, he devoured books by the great escapist writers (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert McCraig, Nelson C. Nye and Edgar Wallace). He also sat through hours of movies starring John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Errol Flynn and his all-time favourite, Audie Murphy.
His first appearance in print was "Hints On Self-Preservation when attacked by a War Dog" in the Osnabrück camp magazine Shufti in 1947. Acquiring a typewriter in the early 1950s and putting it to good use while posted to Hong Kong, by the time of his discharge he had written 10 Westerns, an early version of Bunduki and the first of the short detective-type stories starring Waco.
Upon leaving HM forces, JT won second prize (with Trail Boss) in the Western division of a Literary Competition run by Brown & Watson Ltd, which led to the publication of 46 novels with them, becoming a major earner for the company.
He had the need for supplementary income from time-to-time and also served as a postman, and the proprietor of a fish 'n' chip shop. Furthermore, he branched out as a writer and wrote five series of short stories (Dan Hollick, Dog Handler) for the Victor boys papers, and wrote the "box captions" for comic strips, which instilled discipline and the ability to convey maximum information with minimum words.
His writing career forged ahead when he joined Corgi Books in the late '60s, which gave JT exposure through a major publishing house, as well as the opportunity to branch out from the core Westerns into the Rockabye County, the science-fiction hero Bunduki and other series.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._T._Edson
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 24, 2013
This would be hands down one of JT's worst. While he remains my favorite western author largely because he normally does an excellent job of balancing being respectful of the different factions of western society without going to the historically-sanitized politically-correct extremes that modern western authors adopt. Not so in this book, his treatment of the African-American characters in this book can be called nothing but racist. Probably the only thing he got right was that the northern white members of the corrupt state police were just as ugly in the treatment of their politically appointed counterparts as native southerners. JT spends the first half of the book trying to exonerate John Wesley Hardin, a lost cause if ever there was one. His lowest point comes when he tries to present the KKK in a favorable light and imply that their actions and motivations are similar to those that Dusty and his crew use.
The second half of the story itself had real potential because the hooded riders are NOT acting in a manner or motivation like the KKK. In a Robin Hood-like manner using money provided by Belle Boyd they give Texas ranchers the means to pay off their back taxes and remain on hand to make sure that the corrupt State Police don't just murder the ranchers and seize their land. Stone Hart and his Wedge riders make their first appearance (except for Doc Leroy and Rusty Willis who had previously appeared in Quiet Town) but then fade into the background. This book is also an example of the inconsistencies that pop up because JT didn't write his books in order; he implies that only the Kid and Dusty know Belle but in Mississippi Raider Stone Hart actually receives his 'scar caused by a Yankee saber' while saving Belle's life during the Civil War.
The second half of the story itself had real potential because the hooded riders are NOT acting in a manner or motivation like the KKK. In a Robin Hood-like manner using money provided by Belle Boyd they give Texas ranchers the means to pay off their back taxes and remain on hand to make sure that the corrupt State Police don't just murder the ranchers and seize their land. Stone Hart and his Wedge riders make their first appearance (except for Doc Leroy and Rusty Willis who had previously appeared in Quiet Town) but then fade into the background. This book is also an example of the inconsistencies that pop up because JT didn't write his books in order; he implies that only the Kid and Dusty know Belle but in Mississippi Raider Stone Hart actually receives his 'scar caused by a Yankee saber' while saving Belle's life during the Civil War.
April 30, 2020
Some of the names mentioned in these novels are real people.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
That is where the similarity ends.
In many ways these are modern versions of the old dime novels. The only similarity to the truth are the fact that... The author mentions real people.
However if you just want to read an old fashion cowboy shoot em up, that's what these books are.
September 18, 2017
Hooded Dusty
Never in all my days would I have believed my very favorite characters. They become KKK and save a lot of people from serious danger.
Never in all my days would I have believed my very favorite characters. They become KKK and save a lot of people from serious danger.
February 28, 2018
Great!
Another fine book by a great author, well written and edited and exciting as well as edited very well. I really like this author!
Another fine book by a great author, well written and edited and exciting as well as edited very well. I really like this author!
May 18, 2025
Post war mayhem
John Wesley Hardin is forced to.kill a metro to save his life.
Crooked State Police try programs him for murder and kill incident individuals.
John Wesley Hardin is forced to.kill a metro to save his life.
Crooked State Police try programs him for murder and kill incident individuals.
June 29, 2022
Another great yarn by the master of shoot-em-up Western escapism.
March 3, 2017
Two separate stories conjoined into one book by characters and similarity of plot
October 1, 2014
This was my initiation into J. T. Edson's books. These recurring characters are much like comic book super heroes. And though some of the stories may run on the campy side, it's ok, because the characters are so likable.
October 5, 2012
Good book. Not sure of date finished reading since didn't have internet for a month. Another good story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews