New-York tribune., 1921-10-30

panN. S1.In.
TN THIS absorbing story Arthur
Chapman puts his finger on the
pulse Of truth. Mystery Ranch"
differs from the jerry-built Western
novel, in that it reflects life that
exists and not one built in the fancy
Of writer looking only for melo-
dramatic thrills. The enigma OF the
plot is we'll conceived, admirably gus
tanned and solved in new and strik-
ing way. But always back of the story
one gets the sense of a true picture.
Mr.. Chapman himself, in his famous
poem, "Out Where the West Begins"
champions tho theory that the West
is state of mind and not locality.
Pasadena, Calf, for instance, is Of
the East as definitely as Meeker, Col,
is OF the West. But the state of mind
which makes the West must have be.
hind it convincing atmosphere and
true color.
rms atmosphere and color we find
in "Mystery Ranch" It's author knows
his country Intimately and fondly. We
nave fishcd together through long
lazy afternoons in trout streams far
up IN tile Rockies. He has felt The lure
Oh the aromatic pines and has drunk
IN the clear air, pure as mountain
water and invigorstlng as wine. that
hoods those CULTS Of sunlit space. He
mas ridden Che clean plains and has
tfamped the silent wilderness with the
foothills in the distance vague and
mystic
The charm Of atmosphere sives
mystery Ranch" its distinction no
less than the treatment Of plot and
personality. The setting chosen by Mr..
Chapman is that of an Indian reserva-
tion, probably close to the border of
Wyoming and Montana. The back
ground is one with which he is very
familiar. He has given close study
to the problem OF the Indians and has
spent q great deal Of tins on diff
terent reservations. The story onens
with q murder shrouded In mystery.
and the explication Of this forms the
plot of the story. 10 tell it in detail
would be to rob the reader OF his
pleasure IN the novel. But in passing
one cannot help commenting on the
care and skill with which the author
builds for his climax. He laws all his
cards on the table The solution is
clear, II one has the ingenuity to pick
up the clew. But tho reader never
guesses the denouement till it is un-
folded. In these days OF obvious de-
tective stories this is an intriguing
merit.
An interesting theory IS developed
that Nature leave. sign for the de-
lection Of every crime and that but
for. our obtuscness the lawbreaker
would invariably be discovered. "If
this thing goes unsolved," the chief
character is made to say, "it will only
be because we haven't progressed be-
yond the frst-reader stage in inter
preting what Mother Nature has to
teach US"
The characters are drawn with vioor
"'-u Ai"oAtIys 1Hey acC as one would
reasonably expect them to do in real
lie. The strong young fighting Indian
agent, the cattleman sheriff, Redmond
the halfbrced Jim McFann, the villain
Ialpers, are all men of flesh and blood
familiar to those who have wandered
into the back waters Of frontier life.
just as the heroine is woman and not
a creature Of straw set up by the au-
thor to manipulate for the purposes Of
his plot.
Among the best bits Of characteriza
tion are those which have to do with
old Judge Garford, q survival Of the
vlgilante days. 1t is pity that Mr..
Chapman did not develop more fully
this fearless soft-spoken giant of the
old frontier West He cones into
scarcely half dozen pages Of the
story, but he suggests all the ouali-
ties that went to the building of the
trans Mississippi country, that carried
law into the chaparral with grim GER
tainty, that faced hard life and sud-
den death without heroics or fear.
"Mystery Ranch" is not only good
story in itself. 1t is & promise Of
other good books from the pen of
Arthur Chapman in the days that are
to come.