The plot of â"Hay-Wire"â is centering around a family ranch and settled town. Lynn Hayward is bitter and frustrated over the way his familyâs ranch has fallen into disrepair through his vicious-tempered invalid fatherâs stinginess and willful neglect. Lynn reaches the pitch of resentment when he discovers that an apparently penniless old prospector, whoâs been taking gifts and favors from the Haywards for years, is actually concealing a fortune in his cabin. Bowerâs portrayal of Lynnâs struggles and gradual maturation, and of the tension and discord in his family, is convincing and compelling. One of many recommended Westerns by this prolific author.