LEON C. METZ was born and educated in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and has resided in El Paso, Texas, since 1952. Past president of Western Writers of America, he was honored in 1985 with that organization's prestigious Saddleman Award for his overall contributions to western writing. Author of nine books and numerous articles in magazines, newspapers, and historical journals, Metz is a popular lecturer on gunfighters, military lore, and the borderlands.