Introduction

Unsigned Contract. Seems to be a contract for the rewriting of the story ‘West of the Rio Grande’. A story of the modern West. Plot construction by R. Fowler Gafford, literary style by Robert E. Howard. The story was never published.

We learn of this in a letter (#101) to Tevis Clyde Smith circa February 1929:

I collaborated with one Clyde Smith on a short story and rewrote a novel, to say nothing of writing a novel on my own.

The collaboration was ‘Diogenes of Today‘ and the novel he mentions writing on his own is ‘Post Oaks and Sand Roughs‘.

The next letter (#102) we know of Fowler is mentioned:

Last night the Sunday School class had a party and I had to get drunk to rid myself of Fowler’s1 importunities to go. He said he figured on he and myself being the life of the party. Hokum. Strange what a difference a few snorts of white corn makes in people’s attitude toward you. After I had reached the point where I wanted to go, they didn’t want me.

Howler was Howard’s friend from Cross Cut, Texas.

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