The Ox-Bow Incident

 The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tillburg Clark is a classic American novel out of the wild west. The book was published in 1941 but the story takes place in 1885. Two cowboys, Gil and Art, come into a town in Nevada and start drinking at the bar. The two cowboys have spent the winter together tending cattle and living in an isolated cabin. They are friends but a little tired of each other's company. In town they hear that a rancher has been killed and 50 head of cattle have been stolen. The sheriff is out of town. He appointed another person to act in his behalf during his absence. A group of men in the town want to find the men who killed the rancher and retrieve the cattle. Afraid the group intends to take justice into their own hands and lynch the culprits, several men inform the town judge and the acting sheriff. The judge warns the men to bring the culprits back alive for a trial. One member of the group, Major Tetley, manages to manipulate the reluctant into action. The group sets off to find the culprits. Once found, the group is divided on whether to lynch them or bring them to justice. The story isn't based on a true incident but is an examination of mob psychology and corrupt leadership. Three innocent men are lynched. When the mob returns to town they find the rancher wasn't killed after all. He is standing there with a bandage on his head. The cattle weren't stolen, they were purchased. Now the members have to live with their choices. This was a very interesting and high drama story.