Baddy O.

Mendoza
HUMSS 11 – Creativity

"The Wild Waymire” (A Western Duo)

(Book Review)

Wild Waymire: The two things Matthew Waymire's father hates most are women and
the Hunnicuts -- and his son Ernie has gone and fallen in love with Irene Hunnicut! After
one too many beatings from Matthew, Ernie decides to run away with Irene. But things
don't work out as planned. The young lovers are betrayed by their own kin, and Ernie is
livid. Heaven help anyone who gets in the way of his revenge.

They Called Him A Killer: When Stuart Cannon was twelve years old, his father, Lloyd,
was convicted of murdering Stuart's mother while in a drunken stupor. The boy has
been on his own ever since. Now, the elder Cannon has escaped from prison and
Father Gonzales enlists Stuart's help. He wants him to find his father before the law
finds him and kills him. Lloyd has always maintained his innocence and swore he'd go
after his wife's killer if he ever had the chance. Though he's never believed in his
father's innocence, Stuart has to wonder: could his father be innocent?

Author Lewis B. Patten came up through the pulps to make a lengthy career for himself
that included 3 Spur Awards and a lifetime achievement award from the Western
Writers of America. Wild Waymire originally appeared in 1955 in Triple Western
magazine.

Patten doesn't shy away from the darker side of people, giving him a sort of cult
following with readers of modern Westerns. Matthew Waymire is one of the more
despicable characters of recent memory, yet Patten still endows the reader with
sympathy for him, especially when the reason for the feud is revealed.

Wild Waymire is just one black event after another until it is no surprise that Ernie
chooses the path he does. Patten makes things even more tragic by suggesting that
there is a solution right in front of Ernie's face and he just won't see it. This made for a
fascinating read and one that will add Lewis B. Patten to my list of writers to look for.

My thoughts here is just that, you cannot blame someone else for something. If that’s
what happen? Then so be it! This story was nothing new with my ears. It’s just that
myself was esteemed, that even before I’ve red this story, there’s this kind of flow
already exists.