Dead or Alive — Max Brand

The only things Nelson Grey wanted in life were the hard chores of a cattleman and the chance someday to own his own ranch. But Grey's life-long ambitions changed fast when he was challenged to a dual by Josh Acker, the most feared gunman in the West -- and Grey won!

Now Grey's only ambition was to survive -- because now Acker's rich and powerful friends were out to string him up for murder in cold blood!