Excerpt from The Story of the Outlaw: A Study of the Western Desperado In offering this study of the American desperado, the author constitutes himself no apologist for the acts of any desperado; yet neither does he feel that apology is needed for the theme itself. The outlaw, the desperado - that somewhat distinct and easily recognizable figure generally known in the West as the "bad man" - is a character unique in our national history, and one whose...