Comanche Moon (1997) is a western novel by American writer Larry McMurtry. It is the fourth and final book he published in the Lonesome Dove series. In terms of chronology, it is the second installment of the narrative. A Comanche Moon in Texas history was a full moon in autumn which permitted Comanche warriors to ride by night journeying southward to raid Mexico for livestock and captives. The novel was adapted as a three-part television miniseries of the same name, first aired in January 2008. Plot introduction In this bridge novel between McMurtry's Dead Man's Walk and Lonesome Dove, Woodrow Call and Gus McCrae are in their middle years, still serving as respected Texas Rangers. Plot summary Texas Governor Elisha Pease sends a small troop of Texas Rangers, under the leadership of Captain Inish Scull, to the Llano Estacado in pursuit of Kicking Wolf, a celebrated Comanche horse thief. The Comanche steals Scull's horse Hector and takes it to the Sierra Perdida as a gift for Mexican bandit Ahumado. Scull promotes McCrae and Call to captains and orders them to lead the Ranger troop back to Austin. He sets off on foot after Kicking Wolf and his horse, accompanied only by Famous Shoes, a Kickapoo tracker. Ahumado captures Kicking Wolf and his companion, Three Birds. The latter man leaps off a cliff to avoid Ahumado's plans for his death. Scull finds Kicking Wolf being dragged by the horse, and cuts the Comanche's bonds. Kicking Wolf survives to return to his tribe. Scull is captured by Ahumado, and placed in a cage for a slow death. Having returned to Austin, McCrae learns that his beloved Clara Forsythe intends to marry his rival, horse trader Bob Allen. Call learns that his lover, Maggie Tilton, is pregnant with his child. Governor Pease sends Call and McCrae out with a typically small Ranger troop to rescue Captain Scull. While they are on this mission, Comanche chief Buffalo Hump takes his warriors on the warpath. They attack Austin. Prepared by Call, Maggie hides under a smokehouse and escapes their notice. The Rangers turn back to Austin as soon as they hear of the raid there. Scull handles the cage so well that Ahumado has him taken down, and inflicts more pain. Ahumado sends word to Austin that he will return Scull for a ransom of one thousand cattle. Governor Pease sends the Rangers out again,