Smuggler's Gulch — Paul Lederer

Lost in the Mexican desert, a cowboy stumbles upon a mysterious settlement

The cattle drive was Jake's last chance. After promising a fortune to any man willing to make the long trek across the Mexican border, the ranch boss skipped out at journey's end, leaving Jake Staggs friendless, broke, and far from home. Trudging across the desert, holes in his boots and his horse near death from thirst, Jake smells the unmistakable scent of fresh water. In a lonely gulch he finds lush grass, plenty to drink, and a cabin occupied only by an old man and a madwoman. It is a little piece of paradise -- but he will be lucky to get out alive.

The gulch is a hideout for a band of horse thieves, and now that Jake has been there, they won't let him leave. He narrowly escapes, but not for long. Before he can go home, Jake must make one last trip into smuggler's gulch.