Escape From Five Shadows
Elmore Time a chronological reading
a very pleasant task daily is becoming a meditation
much as living at Five Shadows, may contemplate the nature of Heaven and Hell
The book opens in the voice of a woman describing the world,
how many Dutch novels open in the feminine?
Karla Demery has an eye out for Prisoner Number 18
Corry Bowen is a resident of Hell
But not for long
Five shadows describe the physical limits of the desert prison labour camp
from which he is trying his best to escape.
Where it is exactly you can’t be sure but here is a description of the area from Wikipedia
The mountains are a Madrean sky island, [1], range that is typical of southern Arizona. Sky island ranges are mountains isolated by desert valleys. The deserts, as well as differences in elevation, prevent flora and fauna from traveling to or from nearby ecosystems. As a result, the mountain ecosystems are isolated, and distinct sub-species can develop. This is similar to what Charles Darwin discovered with species he collected from different islands in the Galápagos, a discovery that played a major role in his theory of natural selection.
Safford and Willcox, Arizona are the nearest towns.
They both hail from the Wilcox area in Southeast Arizona
he and his father before him have been involved in mining,
Her father runs the Pinaleno Station on the Hatch & Hodges Stage Line, close to the camp
Karla believes in this nameless wrongly convicted man, can tell just by looking at him,
working on a crooked road gang, run by Frank Renda
wending its way through the rugged landscape;
we get a wonderful detailed look at the real labour of opening the west.
In his first attempt Corry gets to talk to Karla
What is the role of the Native in this story?
In this one they represent the boundaries of the known world
Salvaje sergeant of Apache police leads 10 good men, trackers
Mimbrenos ( people of the willows) the true authority in this land
and in keeping with an ongoing Dutch theme
show themselves to be more humane, playful and noble than most everybody else in the story
Now the sun was directly overhead. Bowen urged the mare over a cutbank,
leaning back in the saddle as the crusted sand gave way and followed them down the slope in a thin dust trail
Not a simple shoot em up the story evolves into a who done it and a how about that.

Escape from Five Shadows 1956
Trust - In many of Leonard’s tales the hero meets the heroine in less than ideal circumstances and because the one or the other has a strong instinctive connection, a basis of trust and love is established from which the story naturally evolves. Such is my relationship with Helium, founded around the time I began reading this centre piece in the Western Penta.
If you like this kind of musing on all things Elmore and more
go to my Helium articles on these themes,
every time you do I make a penny.
Go only if you like folding Elmore with the real problems of living on this planet at this time,
if I fail to deliver the goods you may ask Helium to withhold my penny.
I am confident the click will satisfy some miniscule hunger for insight into Elmore’s love of publishing.
Justice – This theme seems ever present in these early westerns and in much of what I can remember of the Detroit Palm Beach Axis Stories. The use and abuse of power
Power, Authority & Abuse   A prison story   Power and Authority and the abuse of that power
Frank Renda, slave driver, in authority, an evil man, abuses that authority for his own gain
The noble Savage as Police force of the environment