A Gent from Bear Creek

By Robert E. Howard

Robert Ervin Howard (January 22, 1906 - June 11, 1936) was an American author who 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 subgenre. This is one of his western stories.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Apr 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781609779184

Book preview

A Gent From Bear Creek

by Robert E. Howard

Start Publishing LLC

Copyright © 2012 by Start Publishing LLC

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

First Start Publishing eBook edition January 2014

Start Publishing is a registered trademark of Start Publishing LLC

Manufactured in the United States of America

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ISBN 978-1-60977-918-4

The folks on Bear Creek ain't what you'd call peaceable by nature, but I was kind of surprised to come onto Erath Elkins and his brother-in-law Joel Gordon locked in mortal combat on the bank of the creek. But there they was, so tangled up they couldn't use their bowies to no advantage, and their cussing was scandalous to hear.

Remonstrances being useless, I kicked their knives out of their hands and throwed 'em bodily into the creek. That broke their holds and they come swarming out with blood-thirsty shrieks and dripping whiskers, and attacked me. Seeing they was too blind mad to have any sense, I bashed their heads together till they was too dizzy to do anything but holler.

Is this any way for relatives to ack? I asked disgustedly.

Lemme at him! howled Joel, gnashing his teeth whilst blood streamed down his whiskers. He's broke three of my fangs and I'll have his life!

Stand aside, Breckinridge! raved Erath. No man can chaw a ear offa me and live to tell the tale!

Aw, shut up, I snorted. One more yap outa either'n of you, and I'll see if yore fool heads are harder'n this. I brandished a fist under their noses and they quieted down. What's all this about? I demanded.

I just discovered my brother-in-law is a thief, said Joel bitterly. At that Erath give a howl and a vi'lent plunge to get at his relative, but I kind of pushed him backwards, and he fell over a willer stump.

The facts is, Breckinridge, said Joel, "me and this polecat found a buckskin poke full of gold nuggets in a holler oak over on Apache

Reviews for A Gent from Bear Creek

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Some people (mostly, I think of the type of snobs for whom almost any other kind of writing is better than fantasy) profess to believe that Howard's Texan tall tales about Brekinridge Elkins are superior to his Conan stories. I would not go that far,but they are often good fun. Elkins is a cheerful, immensely strong and not over-bright young man from the Humboldt Mountains, as much a hillbilly as a cowboy, ready to fight or frolic at the drop of a six-shooter.

[dinadansfriend · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a collection of magazine pieces done by REH for eating money, and there's a certain amount of tough guy "humour" associated with the prose. There's not very funny....this collection is for Howard's hard-core fans.

[jimmaclachlan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is humorous. The 'gent' is an ignorant, somewhat dim, bumbling, super strong hillbilly. He means well, but just seems to stumble into trouble. Only his great strength, a smart girl friend (who's usually mad at him) & a lot of good fortune manage to get him out. I love the book & chuckle my way through it every few years. My wife's opinion of my sense of humor is pretty poor (warped, childish, low) though, so your mileage may vary.