Nat Love's personal history -- immortalized in 19th-century pulp fiction and his autobiography -- is fascinating stuff.

The Second Battle of Adobe Walls -- a conflict in 1874 between a handful of buffalo hunters and hundreds of Comanche and Kiowa warriors -- is a harrowing tale of survival against overwhelming odds.

Historically, Love wasn't at that battle. But that didn't stop Joe R. Lansdale from spinning a good yarn about what he might have done if he'd been there.

Love, a real African-American cowboy, has been the subject of several stories by Lansdale. Black Hat Jack: The True Life Adventures of Deadwood Dick, as told by His Ownself is one of them and, though narrated by Love, it focuses on the eponymous Jack, a mysterious (fictional) figure who partnered with Love on the hunt and was trapped with him (in this story, anyway) at Adobe Walls when the natives attacked.

Lansdale isn't writing history here. He's writing fiction about a historical event featuring real-life figures such as Bat Masterson, Billy Dixon and William Olds, who were at Adobe Walls, and Love, who wasn't. He's laying out some of the facts of the pivotal battle, which helped spell the end of Comanche power in the West, and embellishing the tale like many a western man -- Love included -- was known to do.

Lansdale also takes advantage of the opportunity to make some pointed commentary about the role and perception of African-American cowboys in an era when many, like Love, lived through the final years of American slavery. It's not a pretty picture, although Love was able to find some measure of respect in the West, where men were judged more by their deeds than their appearance.

Black Hat Jack is a good western story. It contains some facts, and some fiction, and hopefully it will inspire readers to read up on the history to discern the difference. In any case, it's an enjoyable read.