The Coming of the Law

"The Coming of the Law" by Charles Alden Seltzer is a Western story set in the early 1900s. It tells the story of Kent Hollis, the son of a rancher who died, who rides into the rough town of Dry Bottom to take what's rightfully his, facing a gang of powerful cattle owners led by a bad guy named Dunlavey. Hollis's adventure is all about fighting for what's right and bringing lawfulness to a place where it's missing, on land that his father fought for. The story kicks off when Hollis gets to Dry Bottom by train and feels like a fish out of water in this dusty town full of cowboys and saloons. He quickly gets involved by helping a woman being bothered by a bully. This shows that Hollis stands up for those who can't defend themselves and teases the bigger battles he's about to face. The beginning mixes personal fighting with social problems, showing Hollis's strong will to take on the lawlessness and live up to his father's legacy of fighting against corruption.