Before the startled Kentuckian could pull it back from that grasp, hand and book were gone, and the trooper who had taken it was reeling back to the bar, waving the trophy over his head.
The trooper tried to grab the book but didn't get it. 
mnli hypothesis: The trooper tried to grab the book but didn't get it.  premise: Before the startled Kentuckian could pull it back from that grasp, hand and book were gone, and the trooper who had taken it was reeling back to the bar, waving the trophy over his head.