More exciting is Robert Ormond Case’s “Ticket Outside,” originally published in Western Story Magazine in 1933. Set in the Yukon, this tale of petty revenge follows “Wild Pete” Judson, who recently scraped together enough gold dust to buy his way out of the frozen north and return to civilization—but before he leaves, he wants to rub his success in the face of a partner he’s cheated and short-shrifted for years, just to get one final dig in. Despite the deadly cold weather, Pete’s partner has been forced by necessity to drive a stage, and Pete wants to meet him on the road just to show him the gold he’s gathered before heading to warmer climes.
“Wild Pete” is a character the reader is invited to love to hate, and it comes as no surprise when he receives his comeuppance through a series of ironical twists. The story works well primarily because Case is excellent and depicting the setting, a frozen, howling wasteland where life hangs by a narrow thread. Also, the story’s climax is genuinely satisfying even if it’s hardly unexpected.
