The Raiders — L.J. Coburn

SEEK AND DESTROY
That was the order given to Caleb Thorn and his troop of Union desperadoes on their missions against the South in America's vicious Civil War. Not that Thorn's Raiders needed any encouraging. Hardened and skilful killers to a man, they relished the chances for ambush, pillage, destruction and indiscriminate brutality that their desperate assignments gave them.

DOWN ON GRANGRIND'S PLANTION…
The slave behind the white girl hurled his arms upwards, arched his back, and fell into the watching group who stared disbelievingly at the massive wound that had miraculously appeared in the side of his head.

Caleb Thorn stood stock still at the perimeter of the yard. The uproar had disguised his approach. The Dragoon Colt had been readied for further use and pointed past Hardin, past the shredded back of Silas Gradgrind, to the group of slaves around Candice.

While everyone watched him, transfixed, Caleb took aim again carefully and squeezed the trigger easily…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurence James was a prolific British editor-turned-author whose many western series, including APACHE, HERNE THE HUNTER, CALEB THORN and GUNSLINGER, dominated popular fiction throughout the 1970s and 80s. In addition to his vast western output, James (who became a full-time writer in 1972) also wrote under the names James Axler (the DEATHLANDS and EARTH BLOOD series), James Darke (THE WITCHES), Arthur Frazier (WOLFSHEAD), Neil Langholm (THE VIKINGS), James McPhee (SURVIVAL 2000), Jonathan May (the CONFESSIONS series), Klaus Netzen (THE KILLERS), Mick Norman (ANGELS) and Andrew Quiller (THE EAGLES), plus two stand-alone novels as Richard Haigh. His frequent collaborators included Terry Harknett, John Harvey, Angus Wells and Kenneth Bulmer