Wednesday, March 8, 2023

“Hell Command” by Clifton Adams

 


“I wouldn't send out any patrols tonight, Sergeant,” he said.

The sergeant looked at him. “Why?”

That was one bad thing about scouting for the army, somebody was always wanting to know the reasons. And a lot of times there wasn’t any reason, except for that vague intangible thing called hunch or intuition that most white men mistrusted blindly, and wild animals and Indians and some few white men, very few, stake their lives on. And a lot of times even the tangible things were ignored, or never seen.

A solid novella of a cavalry operation selected as one of the 100 Best by Mr. Lewis.

It hews to “lone patrol in the desert” form and offers a “B-plot” on the true value of the fairer sex.

It resembles a mix between James Warner Bellah and Ernest Haycox, and that is a fine hybrid to be.

No new ground is broken, but what ground covered is welcome earthy soil.

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