The Coming of the Law

In Short

When Kent Hollis arrives in the dusty cattle town of Dry Bottom to claim his late father's estate, he discovers he has inherited a thousand acres of rangeland and the printed apparatus of a long-shot crusade: a struggling frontier newspaper called the Dry Bottom Kicker. Facing an entrenched, ruthless cattle baron who controls the local water supply, intimidation networks, and the sheriff’s office, Hollis refuses to flee. Instead, he revives the printing press, rallies honest citizens, and uses both the printed word and physical courage to establish institutional law and order in a lawless range.

The Story

Kent Hollis leaves his fast-paced Eastern journalism career and travels west to Dry Bottom, expecting little more than routine business regarding his deceased father's estate. Upon arrival, Judge Graney informs him that his inheritance includes a thousand acres of range land and the Dry Bottom Kicker, an intermittent newspaper founded not for profit, but as a weapon to challenge local tyranny. The chief source of that tyranny is Dunlavey, a domineering cattle baron whose sway over the region relies on intimidation, corruption, and a puppet sheriff named Bill Watkins.

Dunlavey immediately attempts to buy Hollis out for fifteen thousand dollars, seeking to eliminate the enterprise before it can gain ground. Hollis refuses, choosing instead to settle on his property, the Circle Bar ranch, and revive the newspaper alongside Dave Potter, a skilled compositor fighting a battle with alcohol. Hollis signals his intent by posting a public notice outside the office: "We Herald the Coming of the Law! The Kicker is Here to Stay!"

Dunlavey's faction responds with underhanded tactics, aiming to expose Hollis to public ridicule by tempting Potter back to drink and sending gunmen like Ten Spot and Yuma Ed to intimidate the new publisher. When Ten Spot enters the office to kill him, Hollis disarms the shooter through quick thinking and physical courage, earning the gunman's unexpected respect and turning him into a neutral observer. Shortly thereafter, a severe drought strikes the region, leaving Rabbit-Ear Creek as the only water source and prompting Dunlavey to threaten small cattle owners with total exclusion.

Hollis uses the press to unite the desperate small ranchers, arguing that extrajudicial lynching will never bring permanent stability; only the force of legitimate law can solve their grievances. He officially endorses Ben Allen, a respected local figure, to run against Watkins for sheriff. As the election approaches, Dunlavey’s men resort to open violence, ambushing Hollis in a storm and attempting to sabotage the vote. Despite these threats, Hollis and his allies stand firm at the polling place, securing Allen's election and formally bringing the law to Union County.

Amidst these struggles, Hollis forms a deep bond with Nellie Hazelton and supports her injured brother, Ed, sending him to Chicago for medical treatment with the help of a loyal cowboy named Weary. With Dunlavey finally caught red-handed in a cattle-rustling operation and facing a legitimate legal system, Hollis looks out over the vast Western basin, finding peace, love, and a permanent home in the land he once viewed as a desolate exile.

How It Unfolds

An unexpected inheritance Kent Hollis steps off the train at Dry Bottom expecting modest property, but Judge Graney reveals that his father left him the Circle Bar ranch and the Dry Bottom Kicker, a newspaper created as a moral crusade against regional lawlessness.

Refusing the buyout Cattle king Dunlavey offers Hollis fifteen thousand dollars to leave the country and surrender the paper, but Hollis rejects the offer and openly vows to print the truth and uphold the rule of law.

Surviving the first assault Dunlavey sends the gunman Ten Spot to assassinate Hollis in his office, but Hollis outmaneuvers the killer, knocking him out in a sudden physical struggle and winning the respect of his enemy.

The drought crisis As a devastating dry spell dries up every stream except Rabbit-Ear Creek, Dunlavey threatens to drive small ranchers away from the water, prompting Hollis to organize the community around legal action rather than mob violence.

Launching the campaign Hollis uses the pages of the Kicker to nominate Ben Allen for sheriff, challenging Dunlavey’s corrupt hold over local law enforcement and sparking a bitter political battle for the county.

Defending the ballot box On election night, Hollis and his allies face down armed intimidation at the sheriff's office to ensure a fair count, successfully electing Ben Allen and establishing a legitimate legal authority in Union County.

The final confrontation Dunlavey attempts a desperate cattle-stealing raid, but Hollis and range boss Neil Norton track the thieves, relying on the newly installed sheriff and judicial system to execute justice rather than resorting to vigilantism.

The People

• Kent Hollis: A former Eastern newspaper editor who inherits his father's Western property. He aims to replace violence with legal institutions, finding personal strength, purpose, and romance along the way.
• Dunlavey: The ruthless manager of the Circle Cross ranch who uses bribery, monopoly over water, and hired gunmen to dominate Union County, standing as the primary obstacle to peace.
• Dave Potter: A talented, weary print compositor whose struggle with alcohol is targeted by Hollis's enemies. He remains loyal to Hollis and keeps the press running during key moments.
• Neil Norton: The pragmatic, sharp-witted range boss of the Circle Bar ranch who protects Hollis, guides him through the realities of the frontier, and aids him in fighting cattle rustlers.
• Ben Allen: A straightforward, courageous local resident whom Hollis nominates for sheriff to replace Dunlavey's puppet official, ultimately becoming the instrument of real law in the region.
• Ten Spot: A hired gunman sent to murder Hollis, whose perspective changes after Hollis disarms him without firing a shot, leading him to abandon his hostility toward the editor.
• Nellie Hazelton: A resilient young woman living on the range whose integrity, quiet warmth, and devotion to her injured brother win Hollis's deep affection and respect.

In Its Own Voice

"He used to hire a compositor from Las Vegas to set the type,—a man named Potter—a worthless sort of fellow, but a genius in his way—when sober."

Judge Graney explains the unconventional origins of the Dry Bottom Kicker to a bewildered Kent Hollis upon his arrival.

"'We might hang a dozen men for stealing cattle and we could go on hanging them. We've got no right to hang anyone—we've got a law for that purpose. Then let us make the law act!'"

Hollis convinces a group of angry ranchers to hand a captured rustler over to the authorities rather than resorting to a lynching.

"When he had first gazed out over the basin he had been oppressed with a sensation of uneasiness... But these emotions had passed. He still felt awed—he would always feel it... disquietude had been superseded by love."

Hollis reflects on his transformation from an unwilling Eastern exile to a man deeply attached to the vast Western landscape.

What It's Really About

Beneath its frontier action, the novel explores the transition from raw, personal power to institutional governance. Dunlavey represents an older, primitive order where strength, territory, and intimidation dictate right and wrong. Hollis represents the civilizing force of the community, relying not on superior firepower, but on shared communication, free information, and transparent legal structures. The narrative argues that vigilantism—even when aimed at genuine criminals—only perpetuates a cycle of chaos. True stability requires a community to build trustworthy institutions, such as a free press and an independent judiciary, and to place its faith in those mechanisms even when extrajudicial revenge seems faster or easier.

Why Read It Today

The Coming of the Law offers a satisfying narrative for readers who appreciate classic Western setups grounded in civic idealism rather than mere gunplay. Charles Alden Seltzer crafts a story where the printing press serves as a weapon every bit as decisive as the six-shooter, bringing a fresh perspective to traditional range-conflict tropes. The prose moves with an easy, unpretentious rhythm, capturing both the vast, intimidating beauty of the unsettled terrain and the gritty realities of small-town frontier politics.

Readers should be prepared for period-specific elements, including occasional local dialect, romanticized views of Western settlement, and straightforward melodramatic structures typical of early twentieth-century popular fiction. The plot moves along familiar tracks, featuring clear moral divides between high-minded reformers and treacherous villains. Yet, the story remains engaging through its realistic focus on practical obstacles—such as managing a printing press in the wilderness, organizing dry-land ranchers, or navigating local elections. It stays with the reader as an earnest tribute to the quiet persistence required to build a fair community out of a lawless landscape.