Book excerpt: One of only four Western novels written by Burroughs, The Bandit of Hell’s Bend is an action-packed adventure sure to thrill his legion of fans from the Tarzan and Barsoom books. This edition features a new introduction by Karl Wurf. The plot concerns Elias Henders, the prosperous owner of a ranch and a gold mine, has a beautiful daughter names Diana. While competing for Diana’s hand in marriage, ranch hand Colby sabotages foreman Bull and takes his job. The local stage has been repeatedly robbed of gold bullion from the mine, and Bull falls under suspicion. A rich Easterner named Wainwright tries to buy the mine and ranch, but Henders refuses the offer and discusses the property’s true value with Diana. She is intrigued by Wainwright’s Eastern-educated son Jefferson, however, who proposes marriage. His true nature shows when they are attacked by native Americans during a roundup, and he runs rather than defend her. Elias Henders is mortally wounded in the battle. His will bequeaths his property to his brother John back East so that he can take care of Diana, but John dies too. The scheming Wainwrights pretend that Henders had agreed to a sale, but Diana knows better...